Houkiboshi
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: This is the story of how Hitsugaya and Hinamori grew up together. How they made it through thick and thin together. And how they formed a romance like no other; one that will shine on forever, just like the comets...
1. Midnight Terrors

**Well here it is everyone! Now, for every chapter I write I will put another one up. I am warning you all now, the length of all of the chapters WILL vary, sometimes greatly, and sometimes not so much. So thank you all so much for your patience, and here is your reward!**

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Houkiboshi

Chapter 1. Midnight Terrors

"Ready or not, here I come!"

Little Hinamori ran through the trees in the small forest behind the house.

Her eyes scanned every bush and rock, searching for a familiar head of spiky, white hair. The branches and twigs caught on her tan kimono, but she kept going. Thorns and pebbles pricked her bare feet, but she continued looking.

Finally she halted for a moment to catch her breath, she turned her head around to see if she could find her friend, but to no avail. A cool Summer breeze wafted past her, and buffeted her hair that was tied neatly into two small pigtails.

Something was wrong today, she could sense it, the birds were not singing…

She crossed her arms and shivered, but then she heard a noise and she whipped around. She saw nothing, and all was quiet.

It sounded as though a lion had sneezed; it was loud, but low like a ruffled growl. It was something that she had never heard before in her life. Fear began to creep up her spine and she glanced around wildly. She began to breathe heavily and her entire being told her to run. And she did.

She turned away from the direction from where she had heard the noise and plunged deeper into the forest. And as she was running, she could have sworn that she heard the noise several times again, and twigs snapped as though something were following her. This only caused her to run even faster.

This had never happened to her before, and she did not know what to do, the only thing she could do was run. She continued to run until she could not breathe anymore. Then she stopped and leaned against a tree, panting and glancing around.

Nothing stirred; the wind did not even blow.

However, Hinamori could faintly make out the sounds of the birds chirping again, and she knew that the threat, whatever it was, had passed; for now.

She glanced up at the sky, it was darker then it usually was when they finished their games every day. The shadows were creeping in now, and she did not know where she was anymore. She had never ventured so deep into the forest, not when it was so late at least. And just like that, the birds that had resumed chirping for a moment were silent again as night closed in.

Tears clung onto Hinamori's eyelashes and terror once again gripped her heart. It was dark, there was something lurking in the woods, and worst of all she was alone.

She fell to the ground and began to cry. She pulled her knees to her chest and covered her head with her arms, trying to shield herself from anything and everything.

Then she began to hear noises again, the twigs snapping, and echoes as if someone were yelling. The little girl calmed herself as best she could and tried to keep quiet, so that whatever was out there would not find her. Then some instinct deep down told her to open her eyes.

And so, the small chestnut eyes blinked themselves open and she lifted her head slightly. The sudden and intense darkness frightened her and she squeaked and ducked her head back into her knees. She was now aware of the pain in her feet; all of the thorns and rocks she had stepped on were really starting to take their toll on the fragile, young girl.

Then the voices that she thought she was hearing were gone, and she was alone in the silence again.

She started to cry again, knowing that they were calling her name, looking for her, but she could not get up, she just could not…

After what seemed hours later, the voices came again, and as she looked up once more, Hinamori saw a small light in the distance. It was bright and yellow, like a star, showing her the way she desired to go so badly. The small light came closer and hope rose in her chest and she attempted to stand. But then the light went away again; it faded and then disappeared again behind the shadows.

"No." She whimpered. "No…no…no…" She fell back down and wept even more.

The night was still young, and it was not yet finished with the cruel games it had in store for the girl.

About one minute later, she heard a thud, and she froze completely. But she heard no more sounds, and the possibility that they could be footsteps left her mind. But the noise had sounded so close to her…

She lifted her head up, whipped some tears away, and then looked to her left. Next to her, she could barely make out a small shape that she knew had not been there before, and she almost started crying again, out of pity and sadness this time and not fear.

A small bird had fallen from the trees somewhere and smashed to the ground. She let out a high-pitched screech and the tears began to flow and pour over her cheeks.

Hinamori could not bare it anymore and so she stood up and tried to run to where she had seen the light disappear. As she stepped one bleeding foot in front of the other, she did not get past four paces before she froze again.

A horrible presence seemed to envelop her and she turned around to where the bird had fallen. Her eyes widened and she squeaked in terror. A large dark shape was crouched over the small body of the bird, and in less then a second, the feathered body was gone. A giant head shot up and stared at Hinamori, two small, black, abyss-like eyes stared into her and she could not tear her gaze away.

It seemed to hypnotize her and she could not move. Her feet were rooted to the Earth like a plant as the lumbering figure slowly made its way over to her. And the only thing that her body allowed her to do was scream.

Suddenly, a hand was gripping her arm and she was being pulled through the dark forest. She stumbled and tripped multiple times, but she did not let herself fall, for she was all too aware of the enormous, brutal, reiatsu behind her.

She glanced down at the person pulling her along, his spiky, white hair the only characteristic about him that stuck out in the dark. He did not look back, and the surprising seriousness about him told her to do the same, and that she should stay focused on what lay ahead of them, not behind.

The anxiety streaming off of the boy kept Hinamori running at top speed, which was surprisingly how fast she had to run just to keep up with him.

Then, she heard the same sound from before, the growling lion as the huge beastly creature chased after the two, crushing trees under its massive weight. The light of the small lantern her friend carried was the only faint brightness that guided their way; unfortunately, the creature was nocturnal and could see easily in the dark.

There was no moon that night, or if there was, it gave off no light, for the trees completely blocked it out.

Hitsugaya was trying his very best to not show his fear, for if Hinamori knew he was frightened, there would be no hope for them.

As they dashed between the trees, Hitsugaya began to notice that they were pulling ahead of the monster, and its growls were becoming fainter. He thought, so truly that they were going to make it, and he started to run faster.

But his sudden jerking of her arm caused the surprised girl to fall behind him. The boy stopped running and turned around.

"Momo-chan!" He cried.

As swiftly as he could, he reached down and his fingers found hers and he hauled her back up to her feet.

"Come on, Momo-chan! We're almost there! We have to keep going!" He urged.

But it seemed as though his friend had given up all hope, for her pace was much slower. She was panting heavily, and she staggered and could not keep up with him.

"I-I can't Shiro-chan…I-I just can't…" She whimpered.

The noises of the creature were drawing nearer once again, and desperately, Hitsugaya tried to make his friend move. But he knew that they had wasted too much time, and there was only one thing they could do now; hide.

He quickly scoured the surrounding area and tried to make out each and every dark and unfamiliar shape. Then, his aqua eyes made out the twisted shapes of multiple thick roots, winding over the ground. In one last attempt to move his friend, Hitsugaya tugged her hand over to him and they stumbled over the roots. At the sound of the approaching monster, the two quickly scrabbled under the roots and huddled close together, pressing themselves as far away from the openings as they could.

Hitsugaya groped in the darkness and desperately searched with his fingers for the lantern. He quickly found the knob on the side and twisted it until the light went out completely. Hinamori was still shaking and sobbing, and Hitsugaya placed his hand over her mouth and moved even closer to her.

"Shhhh." He whispered.

She still shook, but did not make another sound, and the humungous footsteps grew closer. Then, it was as if the monster was directly above them, and for a moment, neither of them moved a muscle. Hinamori felt Hitsugaya tense, and he felt her stop breathing.

And then all was quiet, but neither of them dared to move.

Hitsugaya kept his eyes focused on the large gap where the roots opened up, which was where they had gotten in.

If the creature found them, it could fit through…

Suddenly, the ground shook as a giant muzzle was thrust through the entrance, Hinamori screamed, and Hitsugaya thanked goodness that his hand was still covering her mouth, so it turned out to be nothing more then a muffled shriek.

A hairy mouth dripped with saliva as the nose sniffed, trying to decipher where they were hiding. But after a moment, the muzzle disappeared, and the footsteps thundered away back into the forest from whence it came.

For a few moments after the monstrosity was gone, neither one of them moved or made a sound. But then, Hitsugaya's hand fell away from her mouth, and Hinamori burst out crying.

She rested her head on his shoulder and wept, and all he could do was hug her.

She cried and cried, and then finally she managed to talk.

"Oh, Shiro-chan…I was so scared…I thought you forgot about me…" She gasped on his shoulder.

He smiled.

"Momo-chan, I could _never_ forget you." He stated.

"I…I want to go home…" She whispered. He squeezed her tighter.

"Me too." He said. "But we're both really tired, and if we go back out there now, the monster might come back." At those words, he felt Hinamori tense and shudder, but he went on. "Besides, we know he can't get us here. We'll be safe at least."

"W-Well then, can we turn on the light?" She pleaded. But he had to deny her.

"If we do he could find us again." He told her truthfully.

Reluctantly, she nodded.

As the night went on, the two stayed together and did not move.

After about an hour, Hinamori cried less and less, and eventually fell asleep on his shoulder.

Hitsugaya continued to keep watch, but only moments after her, he too fell asleep.

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**A/N:** **There you have it! Chapter 1 finished! Sumimasen for any spelling mistakes, I rushed through editing it just so I could put it up for you guys. **

**And I am just saying this now, This Is MY Story! So I know that I changed little things around that are different from the manga and show. Like I am not sure if he called her Momo-chan but that is my opinion and I thought it sounded right when they were little. So I am just pleading now, No Flamers! **

**Thank you! Please review!!**


	2. Recuperation

**Sumimasen, I did not mention this in**

**Chapter one ****but I do not own Bleach!**

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Chapter 2. Recuperation

The moonlight that had been filtering through the roots soon changed into dawn sunlight.

Little Hinamori shifted and then drearily, her eyes fluttered open. Next to her, the spiky haired boy was also waking up, his aqua eyes blinking as he tried to push the sleep and tiredness away.

For a split second, Hinamori thought that they had been playing too late and had simply fallen asleep. But then the horrible memories of the night before flashed back into her mind and she quivered. Hitsugaya closed his small fingers around her hand and pulled her gently, telling her that he wanted her to follow him outside.

"Come on." He said softly. "Obaa-san's probably worried about us."

At first Hinamori seemed certain that she was not going anywhere. But at the mention of the woman that was like a mother to her, she half-heartedly crawled over the roots after him. He placed his finger to his lips, signaling her to be quiet, as he peeked through the roots that blocked them away from the rest of the world.

When he saw nothing out of the ordinary and no giant, lumbering shadow, he nodded at her and together the two climbed over the last root. They left the lantern behind, for they both just barely had enough strength to carry themselves.

The forest beyond their hiding place was acting as if all of the events of the past night had never occurred at all. The birds were chirping blissfully as they always did, there were the sounds of paws and claws scuttling and scrambling in the undergrowth, and the Spring winds still blew and gave off the same chilly prickle down the spine.

"Let's go." He urged her.

But the second she started walking again, her bruised and bloody feet were remembered and pain seared throughout her body and she almost fell.

Then, Hitsugaya was aware of his stomach growling, and only seconds later hers did the same. But they pushed onward, stumbling multiple times and constantly having to stop, but they went onward. Although they were walking, they could not stop the twigs from snagging on their clothes or the thorns pricking their skin. Eventually, Hitsugaya saw a familiar cottage up ahead.

"We made it!" He exclaimed, exhausted.

Hinamori said nothing, but he could sense thanks and eagerness pouring off of her like a waterfall.

As the two of them came closer, they began to quicken their pace until they were finally running. They burst through the door together, startling an elderly woman that sat inside on a chair in the small kitchen. She wore a light blue kimono and had short, gray hair that was tied into a bun. The instant that she saw the two of them, she was on her feet and rushing over to them.

"Oh Momo-chan, Toshiro! Where have you two been? I've been looking everywhere for you all night!"

The boy and the girl threw themselves into her arms and wept with joy. After a moment, the woman pulled back and inspected the two of them.

"Oh you're both all dirty! And Momo-chan look at you! You're bleeding!" She exclaimed, glancing the girls feet and ankles.

She had tracked a trail of blood in through the kitchen door behind her. "Come on." Hitsugaya's grandmother instructed them both.

She led them into the bathroom where she thoroughly washed off their cuts and bruises. Then she raced into another room and handed them each a clean white robe.

"Now Toshiro darling, go into your room and change into that while I finish up with Momo-chan." She instructed, dabbing some ointment on the girls ankles.

Hitsugaya obeyed and changed into the white robe, it was a few sizes to big for him, but it was comfortable and warm. By the time he had finished folding his dirty, gray kimono and placing it in the hamper, Hinamori was already dressed in her robe.

Never before had they been so thankful to live in Junrinan. It was the first district of Soul Society, and therefore they had the second best living standards next to the wealth of Seireitei.

The two made their ways into the living room and Hitsugaya threw himself down onto the couch. Hinamori fetched both of their pairs of slippers and brought them back over to the couch. She handed Hitsugaya his blue pair and she slid her purple ones onto her cold, bruised toes.

Then she pulled her legs onto the couch and curled up into a white ball, shivering with cold that seemed to come out of nowhere. Hitsugaya reached over to a small table beside the couch and turned on a yellow lamp.

The two friends sat in silence for a few moments, and then Hitsugaya's grandmother entered the room and sat down on the white-haired boy's other side. The boy and the girl cuddled closer to one another, sharing what little warmth that they could spare.

"Now both of you tell me what happened." They glanced at each other, and Hinamori's chestnut eyes told him that she did not want to talk about it. So Hitsugaya explained everything to his grandmother, who stayed silent the entire time.

"…And then in the morning, we left our hiding place and found our way back." He finished.

Hinamori had stayed unusually silent during the whole story, and whenever he glanced over at her, she was staring blankly downward, her eyes empty and emotionless with the memories of the terrors she had experienced the night before.

He wished that he had been there with her, and that he could have helped her, and deep down he secretly knew that the hyper little girl he had come to know so well would never be quite the same again.

And all the while, the woman nodded, with the most serious look on her face that he had ever seen. Finally she spoke up,

"Well, just be sure not to go playing there again for a while." She said slowly.

It was the only thing she could think to say to try and comfort them. Hitsugaya nodded in understanding and Hinamori blinked out of her daze and did the same. "Now then, are you hungry?" She asked them, changing from serious to caring. Both of the shook their heads, they were too tired to be hungry. "Then why don't the two of you get to sleep now? I know it's early but I bet that you're very tired."

The little boy and girl stood up drearily and mumbled agreement. Hinamori left the living room first, and Hitsugaya followed, while his grandmother went into the kitchen.

The aqua-eyed boy and the chestnut-eyed girl shared a room, and when they made their way to the doorway, they removed their slippers and crawled into the large bed that they shared. There was a table at the front of the bed so that they could both reach over for a glass of water in the middle of the night.

Hinamori and Hitsugaya slid under the sheets and pulled the thick, warm blanket over their shoulders. Crawling into bed like this made Hinamori remember the past; every night since the Spring it would happen.

Hinamori recalled the day only a few months ago when Hitsugaya's grandfather had passed away; it was the biggest reason why he hated the Spring so much.

Hinamori had cried every night for about a week afterwards, but what had puzzled her was that Hitsugaya had only let a few tears fall at the funeral, but not any other time. But she had remembered that at night, he would shudder next to her, and whimper in his sleep, and she knew that there was a secret storm thrashing about inside of him, and she could do nothing for him except cuddle close to him at night and smile during the day.

But now, this uncomfortable, nightly routine had for the most part ceased, and now she slept with a clear conscience.

Hinamori curled herself into the blankets and clutched the sheets tightly to her body. Hitsugaya twisted the sheets underneath him so that they would not slid away if he shifted during the middle of the night. The blinds of the windows were half-closed but a small, dim light filtered its way through into the room. Hitsugaya reached up and turned off the lamp on the nightstand.

"Oyasuminasai, Shiro-chan." Hinamori murmured softly, and although neither of them were aware of it, her voice was full of affection.

"Oyasuminasai, Momo-chan." He said in response.

And before the sun even went down, the two friends were already in a unanimous slumber.

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Pale golden light flitted through the shades on the window, warming Hinamori's face and causing her to drowsily open her eyes.

Hitsugaya was lying beside her, snoring slightly with his mouth open. She daintily picked her way around the sheets and she crawled onto the wooden floor. She made her way over to the doorway of their bedroom and slipped on her purple slippers. She peered around a corner that led to the kitchen where there was a kotatsu with two bowls of rice and two plates with hot, Japanese omelets lying on them.

"Ohayo gozaimasu Obaa-san." Hinamori greeted.

Although the elderly woman was not her own grandmother, she had lived with her and her grandson for so long that she almost believed that they were related. Her false grandmother was seated at the small table, and looked up at the sound of her voice and smiled.

"Ohayo, Momo-chan." Hinamori walked over to the kotatsu and knelt down, leaving a space for Hitsugaya if he were ever going to wake up and have breakfast.

She tucked her small feet underneath her body, reached for her chopsticks and began to eat her rice. Her grandmother was almost finished with her own breakfast, but she stood up the second Hinamori took her seat.

"I see you're awake before Toshiro _again_ this morning." She laughed, her blue eyes sparkling with amusement.

Hinamori nodded, but said nothing for her mouth was full of rice. "I'll go get his breakfast. He should be up soon because he always seems to wake up a few moments after you." With that she walked slowly into the kitchen, leaving Hinamori by herself; but not for long.

As if on cue, Hitsugaya walked sleepily into the room, rubbing his eyes from tiredness. Hinamori quickly swallowed her rice.

"O-Ohayo, Shiro-chan." She choked on her food for swallowing too fast.

As Hitsugaya nodded his greeting in return and sat down beside her, she coughed a few times, and he patted her on the back.

After her coughing fit was over, she sat up straight again. "Arigatou." She beamed.

He said nothing, but gave her a small smile.

A minute later, his grandmother was entering the room with his breakfast. The grandmother and her grandson exchanged greetings before he thanked her and plunged into his food. And before Hinamori had finished her omelet, Hitsugaya had devoured his entire meal. And therefore he got back to the bedroom first, as usual.

Every morning the two friends would race to their room after breakfast to try to get there first. Their rule was, that whomever finished eating first got to change first, but Hinamori had not once beat her white-haired friend.

When he had changed into his blue-gray kimono, Hinamori was allowed the privilege to get into the room. She slid the door closed behind her and picked up her favorite tan kimono that Hitsugaya's grandmother had sewed for her. She noticed, long ago that all of her kimonos seemed to be tan, and that all of Hitsugaya's were either gray or blue, and she wondered why but had never found an answer.

This however was her favorite of every one that she had. Not only because her 'grandmother' had spent so much time making it, but for some other reason that she did not fully understand. It had a dark purple stripe running horizontally around the stomach. She assumed that she loved this kimono above all the others because of the stripe, but she honestly had no idea why.

After she had changed and folded up the white robe, Hinamori slid off her slippers and placed them next to her friend's outside the sliding door. Hitsugaya was waiting for her by the door that led to the world outside and she raced over to him.

They were fresh, recuperated and ready for another day. However, before they could get outside, their grandmother was walking towards them.

"Don't go near those woods for a while." She warmed. "Stay close to the house and don't go off too far."

The two nodded, but they had had no intensions of going into those woods again for quite a while.

"Yosh." The two agreed simultaneously.

She nodded and then the boy and the girl were off.

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**A/N: And there is Chapter 2! Not much really happened but just be patient, trust me.**

**FYI: Ohayo gozaimasu means good morning, and oyasuminasai means good night. Although ohayo by itself still means good morning and oyasumi means good nigt too. The longer phrases are just more formal.**

**Hope you liked it! Please review!! **


	3. Rain

**Again I apoligize for the wait, but please enjoy! And remember, chapter's lengths will vary!**

**I do not own Bleach. Cries. **

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Chapter 3. Rain

The hot Summer sun beat down cruelly on the two friends that sat side-by-side on the steps of their small home.

A large pile of fresh watermelons lay in a mound next to them, each one held a small half in their hands and they gazed out over the view. The house was on top of a small hill so when the two friends looked out, they had a clear view of the sunset. There was also a very small garden near where they sat, with a small pond and a birdbath, where Hinamori always kept watch for birds.

Now, they both buried their noses into the cold fruits, Hinamori took small, dainty bites, whereas Hitsugaya plunged his face into the melon as if he were going to receive a prize from it. The sun was far from setting, and the sky was still blue and sunny, but the two had not been in the mood for playing much that day so they decided to relax.

Things were back to the way that they had used to be, for the most part. Aside from the fact that they had more limits on where to go now. Hinamori had only taken one small bite from her first watermelon while Hitsugaya was well on his way to his 5th.

Hinamori stared at the small, white birdbath as a sparrow perched there and began to drink. This brought the memory of the sparrow that the monster had eaten right in front of her, and then all of the horrible memories of that night came back to her.

She was so lost in her thoughts of the past that she seemed to forget the present. She began to shake, and she stared ahead of her at the bird, but her eyes were blank and distant, focusing on something that only she could see. Hitsugaya noticed her silence and glanced at her to find her shivering. He reached his hand over to her and grasped her arm gently then he shook her softly but firmly.

"Momo-chan, daijobu desu ka?" He asked her.

Her eyes blinked sharply and she jumped at the sound of his voice, and the touch of his hand. He only called her by her real name rather her pet name when he was serious.

"H-Hai." She stammered. It was not a very re-assuring answer, but he just shrugged and went back to burying his face into the fruit. But Hinamori on the other hand had lost her appetite and she set her watermelon down beside her.

"Shiro-chan." Her voice was so quiet he hardly heard. But he looked up at her with a questioning look on his face and she took it as a sign to continue. "I-I think that we should…become Shinigami." As she forced out the last words, Hitsugaya's aqua eyes doubled in size.

"Why would you say that Momo-chan?! You know we could never do that! I hate Shinigami! They killed Ojii-san!" Anger flared in his eyes, and he spat out the sentence although tears filled his eyes.

"Toshiro-kun you know that's not true. Ojii-san was killed by one of those monster things, like the one we saw." She said gently. But kind words could no longer help Hitsugaya now.

"No! It was _their_ fault! _They _could have come to save him and if they did he wouldn't be dead right now! They didn't do _anything_! This was supposed to be a peaceful world where souls could relax and pass on, and the Shinigami are supposed to _protect _us! But they didn't do anything! They just don't care!" He was shouting at her now, and she shied away and withdrew, hating herself for even mentioning such a horrible possibility.

Although she was almost family to Hitsugaya now, she did not know what it had been like for him in the Living World, before they had died and came to Soul Society. She could never know the pain he had been through.

Hitsugaya suddenly realized what had happened and what he had said. He lowered his eyes, ashamed, and turned away from her.

"Gomenasai, Momo-chan." He apologized. She was about to argue and tell him that _she_ was sorry, but she knew that it would not have much effect on him. So instead, she moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around him, and without a moment's hesitation, he was crying like a little kid.

"It rained that day." He whimpered, and Hinamori knew that he was going back to that time...that awful day.

He went on. "It was raining, when Ojii-san died. But we cried more then it rained. That's why I hate the rain, to me it means bad things and death…"

He trailed off yet continued to cry, and all Hinamori could do for him, was hold him close, and cry with him.

But what neither of them knew, was that an elderly woman had overheard every word, and in her mind, she made a decision that would change all of their lives forever.

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Everything was dark.

Darker than a nighttime shadow.

Hitsugaya could see nothing, make sense of nothing.

He did not know where he was, nor why he was there, nor which way was up.

His eyes flickered around frantically, searching for something or someone that looked familiar, or a ray of light.

But he saw nothing.

However, he did _hear_ something, something that he never wanted to hear again. It was a howl.

A howl that not of a wolf, nor any other known or unknown creature.

It was distraught and distorted, as if every animal ever known were screeching all together at once. I was warped, like they were underwater, with bubbling cries that would cause even the strongest beings to wince or flee simply be hearing it.

Then, Hitsugaya could see, but the second he could, he wished he could not.

A massive shape towered in the distance, looming like a shadow, as large as the moon. It roared again, a bellow that was all too familiar to his ears for him to forget.

That sound.

It was forever engraved in his memory, the sound of thousands of beast drowning and screaming. Then, he smelt the sharp tang of what he could only call blood, but it was really the entire life, flowing blissfully out of some poor soul.

And only then did he know just who that soul was.

With a loud cry of desperation, the little boy shouted so powerfully that he thought he would burst.

"OJII-SAN!"

But the blood was already flowing, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Then, the echoes of his cry faded into an overlapping jumble of phrases, even though it was only one word.

And everything was silent and dark once again.

* * *

The next morning, Hinamori was awakened by the smell of something salty.

Her eyes blinked open and she found herself staring at her best friend, whose pillow was damp and stained. His eyes were red and his cheeks were drenched with the residue trails of dried tears. She hated seeing him like this, she hated more than anything else.

Soon, just by seeing her friend in so much pain, she too began to cry, splashing the sheets and pillows with a new coat of salty liquid.

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Hitsugaya's grandmother had gone out shopping that morning, not only to gather food and ingredients, but for other reasons as well.

The Summer sky was thick with white clouds, some darker than others, but the sun still shone down like it always did. She was now speaking with a younger man; he was dressed in black robes with a white obi tied around his waist.

"Of course ma'am." He was saying. "Whenever they're ready. Well be waiting."

And with that he leapt away into the crowd, and the woman smiled sadly to herself, and started the walk home.

* * *

Hitsugaya and Hinamori had crawled out of bed by this time, and both were solemnly making their ways into the kitchen.

The two of them were already dressed, but it was still quite obvious that they had woken up only moments ago.

They found out that their grandmother was not at home, but she had left breakfast for them and kept it warm and heated. They both sat down at the kotatsu and slowly nibbled at their rice, too sad to speak to the other. Neither Hinamori nor Hitsugaya finished their meals that morning, so they put them away to keep them fresh.

Neither felt up to going outside to play either, it was as if they were sick, but they did not know why.

Just then, their grandmother slid open the door and greeted them each in turn with an un-readable smile. They both knew immediately, something was wrong, or at least different. She took a seat on the couch and motioned for them to come near her.

"Now, I have something very important to tell you two."

She spoke in a kindly way that a grandmother does.

Hinamori felt uncomfortable, like her stomach had been twisted, and Hitsugaya stared intently at his Obaa-san, desperately wanting to know what her story was.

But it was not a story that she had to tell, rather, it was a sentence.

"You two are going to become Shinigami."

Cold silence followed, and the first of many raindrops splattered onto the world outside.

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**A/N: Again sorry for the wait and for any spelling or grammar mistakes! Hope you guys liked it!**

**Please review!!**


	4. Good Night

**I do not own Bleach, Tite Kubo-sama does...and I am not him.**

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Chapter 4. Good Night

The little white haired boy stared up at his grandmother in astonishment and disbelief.

"Nani?" He said softly. Anger was almost starting to boil up inside of him that his grandma would enroll him in the Shinigami Academy without even asking. The old woman sighed and repeated.

"You're going to become Shinigami." But before she could go on, the boy stood to his feet, infuriated.

"Why? Why Obaa-san? You didn't even ask. They killed Ojii-san…" He trailed off, tears filling his eyes, the whole time Hinamori stayed silent, shivering.

"Toshiro." The gentle old voice was comforting compared to the harsh pattern of the rain that brought back so many memories, so he slowly sat back down next to Hinamori again.

"It's not safe here." Their grandma went on. "Remember that big monster you both saw the other day?" She asked.

Both of them nodded. "That was what the Shinigami call a Hollow. They never usually get into the first district, but it happens, and if one can get in, more can too. Momo-chan, you said that it had eaten a bird?" She inquired the little girl.

She slowly nodded her head, tears filling her eyes and Hitsugaya nudged comfortingly closer to her.

"Well that was just a tiny amount of spirit energy in that bird. I asked the Shinigami that I talked to and he said that it was because there are more Hollow now, and less to eat, so they'll eat anything, as long as it has reiatsu. They've gotten this far into Soul Society, what if you two are next?"

Neither one spoke for a moment after that, but then Hinamori's small voice was heard.

"But what about you, Obaa-san? Can you go to the Academy with us?" She posed the question that was on the boy's mind as well.

Much to their dislike, their grandmother sighed.

"I cannot. I have lived here ever since I came to Soul Society and I am not leaving now. I will miss you both, but maybe, if you ever get a day off, come and visit."

"Hold on Obaa-san! I never said I was going!" Hitsugaya shouted softly, confusion and wrath filled his voice at the thought of leaving her. She sighed.

"No Toshiro, don't be like that. This is the way it has to be." The firmness in her voice was absolute, telling him that her decision was final. He opened his mouth to say more, but then just stayed silent. Finally, Hinamori spoke up again.

"I don't want to leave you either Obaa-san, but I want to go." She admitted a shameful look on her face as she glanced at Hitsugaya.

"Fine, I'll go." He said shockingly. "But only when I want to. Momo-chan can go and if I want to go I'll go, but first I'll stay here with you Obaa-san." The elder woman knew that he would not leave so easily, but that was as close as she would get to convince him, she knew that.

"Okay, Toshiro." She smiled. "But you can't go in any later than a year after Momo-chan." She affirmed.

He said nothing, but then nodded willingly.

"W-W-Wait! I don't want to go alone!" Hinamori cried out. Hitsugaya flicked her gently on her forehead.

"Come on grow up Bed-Wetter! You can handle school!"

"B-But I'm too young to go to the Academy!" She protested.

"So? You'll be a bit younger, you can handle it." He tried to reassure her.

"Momo-chan," Hitsugaya's grandmother spoke up. "You'll be fine, trust me. And Toshiro will be joining soon after you."

"Maybe." The boy snorted.

"Well, when will I be going?" Hinamori asked, still nervous.

"The man said that the school starts in Autumn, so you have about a month left. Then you'll take the entrance exams and if you pass you'll stay in the dorms."

"E-Exams?!" She squeaked. "I can't do that! I don't know anything! What if I don't pass? Then what do I do?" She panicked.

"Calm down, you'll do fine, I'm sure of it." Her 'grandma' told her. "Now, both of you, off to bed." She instructed.

They each nodded and slowly left the room, the rain still splashing into puddles outside.

After the two of them got changed, they crawled into bed and shivered under the cool sheets, and they nuzzled closer together to keep warm. It was dark and the rain still pattered the house, dripping off the edges of the roof and running down the windows.

Hinamori tried to fall asleep, but the thoughts of enrolling in the Academy kept her awake, and when she ever did manage to slumber, she would just wake up a few moments later with a start.

Usually, the sound of the rain comforted her and lulled her to sleep, but tonight it was just a perpetual drumming, each second a raindrop made a sound, and that only told her that she was one second closer to leaving this place, and the people she loved. Eventually she became so uncomfortable that she turned towards Hitsugaya and prodded him softly.

"Shiro-chan? Are you awake?" She whispered.

It was such a quiet whisper that Hitsugaya thought that he was dreaming, but something told him to turn around to her and open his eyes. So he did so, and found himself face-to-face with a traumatized little girl.

"Nani?" His voice was not annoyed, nor impatient, but understanding and comforting. She was on the verge of tears as she spoke.

"I-I don't want to l-leave. I don't want t-to g-go to the Academy all by myself and leave you and Obaa-san." She stuttered and sniffled. He laid a hand on her shoulder and smiled gently.

"Hey, don't worry about it. You're gonna be fine, and I'll be joining the Academy too." He tried to comfort her, but she only cried more.

"But not at the same time! I'll be all alone without you! I'm scared, and what will they do to me if I don't pass the entrance exams?"

"I don't know." He replied honestly. "But just do your best, I know you'll make it on your first try." He promised her. "And you still have the whole rest of the Summer to spend here. Just enjoy it and don't think about the exams, or that stupid Academy. Just focus on _now_ and not later."

For a moment, she did not respond, her sniffling was starting to die down and then she locked her chestnut eyes with his aqua ones.

"Okay Shiro-chan, just promise you'll be right behind me all of the way." He smiled and nodded.

"I promise."

* * *

Unfortunately, the remainder of that Summer flew by as fast as a rushed breeze.

Hitsugaya and Hinamori had spent the rest of their time together, playing and reminiscing, until finally, there was only one day left until Hinamori's departure. She was to go to the Academy, where she would be given the written exams, and if she passed, then she would be given a school uniform and her class schedule.

Hitsugaya's grandmother was fussing about how she looked, telling her that she wanted her to look presentable when she stood in front of the Shinigami. Hitsugaya had never seen his Obaa-san so excited over anything in his entire life. She was just thrilled that Hinamori had somewhere to go and that she would be living a better, safer life; or at least, that is what she thought.

Hinamori was to show up at the Academy very early the following morning and there she would be shown the room where her and many other students would take the written tests. She was still extremely nervous, but the fact that she was going to be with about 200 other people made her feel the slightest bit better. But she really wanted Hitsugaya to be there with her when she left, he was her only actual friend, like a brother.

Presently, she was in her room, staring out the window and gazing into the endless horizon, the clouds leisurely shifting and changing their shades to darker and darker colors.

Loneliness filled her heart simply at the thought of leaving the next day. She knew that she was going to have a very hard time getting used to the new school, she would have to make new friends and learn everyone's personality, such as who to avoid, and who was alright to be aquatinted with.

Everyone in the small house had woken up late that day, and Hinamori was unusually tired and wanted to just go back to sleep then and there. Ever since she had known that she would be leaving alone, she began to get tired easier, and had lost her appetite.

She had just finished folding her white robe that she would be taking with her when she left. Then, she picked up her sleeping clothes and changed into them, leaving her other clothes folded at the base of her bed.

She was going to inform Hitsugaya that she was going to bed early again, but her head felt as though it was filled with cotton and she just wanted to lay down.

She felt sick to her stomach, uneasiness swirled around inside of her, and her limbs went numb as she curled up under the sheets.

Her eyes fell closed and she drifted into an uneasy sleep, and was awakened again about an hour later when a certain white haired boy laid down beside her.

Chestnut eyes fluttered open as he faced her and pulled the sheets up to her shoulders.

He wrapped his arms soothingly around her, her head buried in his arms; his presence calmed her.

"Oyasuminasai." He told her, for what might be that last time.

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**A/N: Chapter 4 finished!**

**I hope that you liked it! Please review!!**


	5. Goodbye

**I am soooo sorry for the wait as usual. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, Tite Kubo-sama does. **

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Chapter 5. Goodbye

It was only about half an hour after sunrise and Hinamori was already out of bed.

The new Autumn sky outside blazed with the colors of the changing leaves, the golden sun shown above the tops of the trees. The winds blew wildly and the shadows cast by the branches danced on the earth's grasses below.

Today, Hinamori was the first one awake, for she had gone to bed so early the night prior. She had taken her favorite tan kimono and changed, folding her sleeping clothes neatly and packing them into a small bag that her 'grandmother' had given her along with her robe.

She brushed her silky, dark brown hair and made certain that she looked very presentable.

When she emerged from the bathroom, Hitsugaya and his Obaa-san were awake and dressed as well.

When Hitsugaya's eyes met Hinamori's, he smiled, silently wishing her good luck. The elderly woman carried a small bag that contained only Hinamori's favorite clothes, for she did not want to take much with her, in case she was not accepted. If she did not make it, Hinamori would have to wait until the next year to try again. Souls were only allowed into the Academy at different times if they had exponential reiatsu or were in dire need of becoming a Shinigami.

Hinamori accepted her bag from the woman she considered to be her own grandmother. She had already eaten a small meal, but did not want to be late so she did not eat much.

Now, she stood outside of the small place that she had called her own home for the entire time that she had lived in Rukongai. Behind her, stood the woman she called grandma, and her best friend in the whole entire world.

"You know where to go, right dear?"

"Hai, Obaa-san." She replied, embracing her in a way that a grand daughter would embrace her grandmother after being apart for several years.

When Hinamori pulled back, she glanced at the white-haired boy, he looked like he was on the verge of tears, but she had only seen him cry less than 5 times in her life, and she lived with him.

She did not think that her departure was enough to make him cry.

She made her way over to him, and both managed to smile at the other, and she leaned down a little so that she was at his level.

"I-I'll miss y-you, S-Shiro-chan." She whispered between gasps as she started to weep.

An un-noticed tear slipped down his face as well, and then she reached forward and hugged him. It was not the hug of a best friend, nor a brother or sister, not even the hug of a twin, but it was a hug that can only be shared by two people who are closer then all of those combined and more.

They were like a key and a lock, they fit each other perfectly, and no one else would ever be right for either of them.

They were the kind of people who only came around every billion eons or so, they were Hinamori Momo and Hitsugaya Toshiro.

"No matter where I go or how far away we are, I promise I'll always be with you." She whispered.

"Me too." He told her softly. "I'm going to keep that promise so you just better keep it too!"

"I will."

As Hinamori tried to slow down her crying, she pulled away from him and gazed into his eyes, and he gazed into hers. They were so young, and they each thought that what they felt towards one another was only a bond, but what they truly felt, was something much more powerful, that could never be broken.

"Sayonara, Shiro-chan. I-" She was about to say something, but she stopped herself, and pushed the words to the back of her mind, saving them for another day. "I'll see you soon, neh?" She asked, hoping that he would say 'yes' and that he was going to join the Academy too. But he just smirked, and responded.

"Sure, you're gonna visit on holidays, right?" That seemed to cheer her up the slightest bit and her eyes twinkled.

"That's right! I'll see you whenever I get a day off!" She swore, wiping some tears away.

"Good." Their Obaa-san said. "Now, get a move on Momo-chan, you don't want to be late for your first day of school!" She spoke loudly and encouragingly.

"Yeah!" Hitsugaya agreed. "Get out of here you Bed-Wetter!" He smiled playfully, wanting to cheer her up and let her leave with some cherishable memories.

"Alright, alright!" She beamed. "I'm going! I'll see you soon." She told them.

"Good luck dear." Her grandmother wished her, and Hitsugaya nodded.

Her bag in her hand, Hinamori then turned around and began to walk down the small path of their house that led to the rest of Rukongai, Seireitei, and beyond.

"You'd better pass those exams you Bed-Wetter! Because if you don't you'll have to come back here and I'll have to live another year with you!" He teased her childishly.

She turned around to them and gave a small wave of acknowledgement before she turned away once again, and eventually, her shape disappeared into the distance, and left Hitsugaya and his grandmother looking at nothing. Then the old woman glanced down at her grandson with a caring smile.

"You know, you're going to miss her a lot more than you think you are." But the impudent boy just crossed him arms with a sort of 'ppft' sound.

"Yeah right. As if I'm gonna miss her." He desperately tried to hide the fact of just how much he _would_ miss her though.

Once he was sure that his friend had completely vanished into the distance, he turned his back and walked towards the small house behind him. Although it was much earlier than he usually awoke, Hitsugaya could not fall back asleep, and so he just sat in his room; alone.

Only a few hours before, she would have been in that room alongside him, it used to be _their_ room, but now it was just _his._

For the remainder of that day, he was in a very gloomy mood, he walked slowly, and his eyes were often lowered to the ground to stare blankly back into the memories he missed; and this was only the first day.

His Obba-san had told him that it would only be that way for a little while, for eventually, he would get used to her absence.

The dawn of that day had seemed to promise a warm, peaceful day, but the sky betrayed them as noon drew near. The dark clouds clumped together and blocked out the majority of the sun's light.

Hitsugaya kept to _his_ room for most of the day, just staring out the window, and then staring at the few folded clothes that she had left behind, a light pink kimono and a dark green one.

He delicately picked them up, as though if he were not careful he would damage their flawless folded materials. These were the only two things, besides memories that he had left of her now; she had even taken her pillow.

He placed the kimonos next to his bed, and just stared at them, once again loosing his senses to thinking. He wondered how she was, what she was doing, if the exams were easy and if she would pass. Half of him was glad for her for being able to join the Academy, that half of him wished her luck and prayed that she passed.

Yet the other half of himself was being what he would call selfish. That part wanted her to fail the exams, so that she could return home.

He knew that thinking this was wrong, and that she would be very upset if she did not make it. But Hitsugaya did not want to loose her, even if she was only a few miles away like she was, he still felt concerned for her.

Who knew when another on of those Hollow things would show up again?

He shook the thought away, and snapped back into reality.

It was later in the day now, coming on evening, and the sky was even darker than it had been. He declined dinner that night, something he rarely ever did unless he was sick and lay himself under the sheets.

The kimonos near the bed still gave off her scent and he inhaled deeply, allowing a small smile to come to his face. He rolled over, something he never could have done so freely before, for he would have rolled on top of her. The sheets where she had laid just the night before were cold and wrinkled, but they too smelt of her peachy aura.

Hitsugaya closed his eyes and attempted to sleep, but he found that he could not fall asleep for a few hours. He was not used to sleeping alone, he was uncomfortable without Hinamori beside him and he truly missed her presence.

A low blast of thunder sounded outside, and the rain began to patter the world outside.

The rain.

The one thing that he hated the most, signaling unfortunate and evil happenings yet to occur. He was not cold, but still, a shiver ran down his spine and he squeezed the blankets tighter to his body.

He was all alone, and he knew that Hinamori was as well. For he knew that she had passed the exams and that she was now staying in her own dorm room, somewhere miles away.

But to him, it felt universes away. A second before he fell asleep, Hitsugaya whispered.

"Oyasuminasai, Hinamori." He knew that she was not there, and he wished that his words somehow reached her.

And for the first time in his life, he called her by her family name, showing that she deserved respect and showing maturity in himself.

Then, he swore that he heard a reply.

"Oyasuminasai, Shiro…chan…"

He did not know if it was a dream, but he had heard her voice, and even though she had used his pet name, he did not care.

She was all right, he could feel it, and that was all that he needed to know.

* * *

**A/N: SOOO sorry it takes so long to update! The later chapters are really difficult to write! Please stay with me and keep reading!!**

**Please review!!**


	6. Vow

**This chapter is dedicated to my friend davyn. Thanks again!!**

**Disclaimer: Last time I checked, I did not own Bleach. Oh and guess what?! I _still_ do not!**

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Chapter 6. Vow

Hinamori walked to the office of the Shinigami Academy, were she would find out if she had passed the exams or not.

Surprisingly, she had actually found the entrance exams quite easy, but then again, she wondered if she thought they were easy because she sped through it and got everything wrong.

She was panicking so much that she almost walked right by the office, and she was lucky to have even found that, for she was so lost and had no idea where she was going.

She and all of the other first year students had been assigned dorms and roommates before they even took the exams. Then, they had slept there that night and would be told if they had passed or not today early in the morning.

The higher and older students started their classes at about 7:00am, and all of the first years needed to know if they had passed or not before then so that they could get right to class.

Hinamori thought that it was a very strange way to do things for the first day. Why give students a dorm and a roommate if they did not even pass the exams? Would they just have to go back home again if they failed? The thoughts buzzed through her head as she knocked softly on the door.

After a curt greeting was heard, informing her to enter, she bowed and stepped into the room.

A man with black-purple hair sat at a desk piled high with papers, and he looked up at her as she entered. He then motioned to a seat and informed her that she was free to sit down.

"Name?" He asked almost right away. It was not a rude or annoying voice, just the tired, and stressed out voice of a hard worker.

"Hinamori Momo, sir." She spoke clearly and sat with her back straight and her shoulders back, her eyes fixed on him and her hands in fists in her lap.

It was the only way that she knew how to be respectful and formal, to sit with a good posture and be interested.

The man smiled at her quickly and then shuffled through some papers. Hinamori thought that he was just trying to be nice, but really, he was amused and delighted at her respectfulness. No other student that he had called in that morning had been so attentive and even though it was 6:30am, this girl was as awake and as jumpy as a fawn. He had a good feeling about her…

"Ah! Here we are." He said suddenly, pulling out a certain sheet of paper.

He had been so quiet and had perked up so fast that Hinamori jumped slightly, but then remembered that she was in front of her superior and stayed quiet.

"Hinamori Momo." He said aloud, looking at the paper. "You scored quite nicely on this exam, in fact, your grade is the highest we've had here in a long time, almost perfect." He announced.

A sudden sense of pride blew over her and she relaxed her shoulders the slightest bit.

The test had mostly been about all that one knew about souls and spirits, and the districts of Soul Society. Questions also depending on location, age and if it made a difference were you wound up in Rukongai. Quite honestly, Hinamori had breezed through those exams in less the 30 minutes. The dark-haired man had gone back to shuffling papers, a small smile on his face; he had a _really _good feeling about this girl…

"S-Sir!" She squeaked suddenly. He looked up at her. "M-May I ask your name?" Her hands were shaky in her lap as she spoke, almost as though she were nervous.

"Well I think it's fair of you to ask. You'll need to know it since you're gonna be staying here a while. My name is Hisagi Shuuhei." He replied with another smile.

Hinamori perked up even more at his words, relief and joy washed over her like rapids. She had heard of this man, through small rumors and gossip, and she was shocked that he, the 'strongest fighter in a really long time' that everyone else had labeled him was actually so kind.

"Well actually, you look like a responsible girl, so I'll tell you something that no other student knows."

Now, she felt nervous, why _her_? But she heard the man out as he lowered his voice.

"In reality, everyone passed the exams, even the dimwitted ones." He spoke truthfully. "You see, all the sensei had it planned out since last year when the accident happened. It was the final semester and the students had to take their final test, which was to go into combat with real enemies, meaning Hollow."

There it was again.

That word.

That awful, terrible word; Hollow.

It was coming back to haunt her…

Her sensei continued. "But, something went horribly wrong and…and we lost all of them, but 28." He finished with a sigh of regret.

Hinamori's eyes almost tripled in size. _Only 28 came back?! _From afar the school was huge, but up close it was massive. It could hold nearly 1,000 people!

"It was an ambush." He lowered his eyes, as if going back to that time, and tears filled the young girl's eyes. But she quickly brushed them away; she did not like crying…

"So you see," Her sensei spoke up and looked at her again. "We had been planning all along that all of you would make it, that's why we gave all of you dorms and roommates yesterday, because no one was leaving. However, things may change throughout the school year." He concluded.

Now Hinamori understood; they were in desperate need of Shinigami this year.

Her eyes were almost tearing at the thought of hundreds of students being killed by an ambush…

Seeing her sadness, Shuuhei spoke again. "Don't worry." He said. "I _swear_ that will _never _happen ever again, no one else is going to die a meaningless death as long as I'm around." He smiled kindly. Hinamori bowed her head mournfully.

"I will try my hardest not to let you down, Sensei, and I will fight for peace until I die." She vowed.

"Good, I'm glad to hear it." He said. Then he handed her a sheet of paper. "This is your schedule, classes start at 7:00am every morning. There are extra classes on Saturdays, and on Sundays there are no classes." Hinamori perked up once again.

_No classes on Sundays! That means that I can visit Obaa-san and Shiro-chan every week! Well, if I have time that is. _

Then, Hisagi gave her a nod that signaled that she was dismissed. She stood to her feet and bowed deeply.

"Arigatou gozaimasu." She thanked him before turning around and leaving the office.

Judging by the faint, dusky light that swirled around the windows, she assumed that it was about 6:45. So, she decided to go back to her dorm and look over her schedule.

She walked through the hallways of the school, and then dashed out the doors. The school was separated from the buildings that held the rooms; there was a boy's dorm and a girl's dorm. She silently made her way over to the girl's dorms, thankful for the lights that were positioned around the buildings that sliced through the darkness.

She was also thankful for the uniform that she had been given. It was a standard white top with a red circle near each shoulder, and a long, red hakama. She was also given socks and sandals woven from hay, and surprisingly, they did not make a sound as she walked along the cemented sidewalks.

But she continued to wear her hair in two small, shoulder-length pigtails, just for old time's sake…

She entered the girl's dorm and made her way to the third floor out of five. They were each given roommates according to alphabetical order by family name, and then they were given rooms on the five floors, starting with A on the first floor and working its way up to Z.

The hallways were dim with lights as she finally found the right door. Hinamori took a small key from her pocket and was about to open the door when it was opened for her.

"Hi Hinamori-chan!" A girl a few inches shy of Hinamori's height stood in the doorway. The brown-haired girl smiled and walked into the room, closing the door behind her.

"How are you so hyper in the mornings? I just don't understand you, Kuchiki-san." She stated. The other girl sat down on her bed, all of the jumpiness was suddenly replaced by mysteriousness.

"I don't know." She said softly, which was her normal tone. "I guess I've just always liked the mornings." Her eyes were filling with distantness as memories came over her, a small, lonely smile on her lips.

Hinamori could not believe that this was the same girl who had just welcomed her 20 seconds earlier. She quickly changed the subject, as to prevent the remembrance of past pain.

"Did you get your schedule Kuchiki-san?" She asked.

She did not actually need to ask, for only the people that got accepted received schedules, and everyone was accepted this year.

The other girl looked up and nodded.

"Great! Lets compare them to see if we have any classes together."

* * *

**A/N: Yay! Done with this chapter! Yes, Rukia and Momo are roomates! Heehee! **

**Please review!!**

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	7. New Friends

**Again, I apologize for the long waits for updates! I promise you will all be rewarded after I have finished chapter 35! I will write my best and make this story worth your wile!**

**Disclaimer: I STILL do not own Bleach and am PRETTY DAMN SURE I never will!**

* * *

Chapter 7. New Friends

Kuchiki Rukia had been chosen as Hinamori's roommate, because they were closest to each other by their family names.

Rukia was a few years older than Hinamori, but she had just joined that year, so she was in some of the same classes as her brown-eyed friend.

They sat side-by-side at a desk in their room that both of them could sit at with room to spare, considering that they were both so small. They looked over their schedules together; the light of the rising sun aided the brightness of the light in their room.

Hinamori's first class was history, where she guessed that they would learn about the history of Soul Society and all of the different spiritual worlds and all of that. Her second class was battle skills, followed by kendo training. Then, at 11:30 was a lunch period. The next class was Zanpakutou practice and training, and finally Kidou class.

Each class, including lunch stretched for an hour and a half, with a few moments to get to the next class in between, the day started at 7 and ended at 4. Hinamori and Rukia had 4 out of the 6 periods together including lunch, their Zanpakutou and history classed were just switched.

Now, the two of them walked side-by-side down two flights of stairs until they were on the first floor, they each carried their own schedules, along with a few notebooks and pens.

They crossed the grassy courtyard and stepped onto the cement sidewalk surrounding the school, other students were headed that way as well. The two girls entered the school building and glanced through the long hallways, partially filled with other students, all searching for which locker was theirs.

Since Rukia and Hinamori were roommates, then that also meant that there was no one with the initials between them. Therefore, their lockers were right next to each other. Once they had found their lockers and made sure that they opened, they heard a bell ring.

"I guess that means we have to get to class." Hinamori said. Rukia nodded and both glanced at their papers to see where their first classes were.

"See you in an hour and a half." Rukia told her. "Good luck." She turned and started to walk the opposite of where Hinamori had to go.

"You too." She called after her.

Then she made her way down the hallways, turning corners and glancing at room numbers until she finally found the history class.

She stepped through the door and took an empty seat as the bell rang; it was going to be a long day.

* * *

Hinamori sat down at a small bench.

It was lunchtime now, and her battles skills and kendo classes had taken a load off of her energy. Rukia was no better; she was sitting drearily beside her, with her shoulders hunched and head drooping.

What surprised Hinamori about lunch was that it was held outside and inside, tables and benches were set up around one grassy courtyard area, but there was also a large indoor cafeteria.

However, the two friends liked the outdoors, and wanted to take in all of the fresh air that they could get, so they sat outside together as they stared up at the sky. Rukia sighed.

"Those last two classes really took it out of me." She breathed.

"I'll say." Hinamori agreed, recalling how quickly her friend had devoured her food with a ravenous gulp.

Then, Rukia glanced away at someone as her name was called. A boy with baffling red hair was calling to her; Hinamori recognized him from her history class. Next to the red-haired boy, was a slightly shorter boy, with blonde hair who looked as though he would not stand a chance sparring against a cat. Rukia smiled at the sight of the taller boy and called back.

"Hey Renji!" She waved.

"Who is that, Kuchiki-san?" Hinamori asked, with a confused look at the boy, Rukia and back again.

"He's a friend of mine, we used to live together back in Rukongai, but we didn't see each other during the exams. And I thought that I told you to call me Rukia." Renji and the other boy walked over to the girls and they stood up.

"It's been a long time Rukia!" Renji grinned.

"No it hasn't baka. We saw each other two days ago!" She laughed. "Well I'm just surprised you passed!" She kidded. "Oh this is my friend, Hinamori Momo."

Said girl bowed to the boys.

"Pleased to meet you." Then the blonde boy bowed as well."Izuru Kira. It's my pleasure." He said politely. Then Renji hit him on the head.

"Cut the crap Izuru! Just greet people like a normal person." He grumbled. "My names' Abarai Renji." He told Hinamori and she smiled and nodded. Then he spoke to Rukia. "Well, well Miss I'm-Not-Going-To-Make-Any-Friends, looks like you contradicted yourself." He said. Then Izuru started a conversation with Hinamori.

"Weren't you in my battle skills class?" He asked.

"Hai, I knew you looked familiar." She replied. Just then, the bell rang out once again, signaling that they were all to get to their next classes.

"Hopefully we'll see each other again soon!" Hinamori called after the boys as they walked away. The girls' next classes were near each other, so they walked together. "You know," Hinamori spoke to Rukia. "I have a friend like that too. Like you and Renji, and you used to live together."

"Oh really?" The raven-haired girl looked interested. "What was his name?"

"You mean what _is _his name." Hinamori corrected her.

"Oh sumimasen." Rukia shook her head.

"His name's Hitsugaya Toshiro, we lived together until I came to the Academy a few days ago. He lives with our Obaa-san in the first district of Rukongai, and I hope I'm going to visit this Sunday."

"That's good." Rukia smiled. "1st district huh? That's about as good as you can get, next to Seireitei itself. Me and Renji, we came from district 78."

Hinamori heard sadness and pain in her voice and she could not help but to place a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. But then Rukia shook her head, forgetting all of her past problems. "But anyway, what do you mean by, _our_ Obaa-san? You're not related are you?"

"Oh no not at all!" Hinamori shook her head vigorously. "She's _his _Obaa-san not mine. It's just…when I first came here to Soul Society, I was all alone, because I died alone as well. And then, he was just standing right there when I opened my eyes, him and his Obaa-san. And from then on we just lived together, and we thought of ourselves as one family. And so his Obaa-san became my Obaa-san."

Rukia nodded in understanding.

"That's sort of like me. I didn't spend much time in the World of the Living either. And then I just lived with Renji and a bunch of others until we decided to become Shinigami. I died alone too." She lowered her voice.

They stopped walking in front of their classes, which were right next door to each other.

Hinamori gave Rukia a small hug and both smiled at the other.

Then, they each went their separate ways to their class.

* * *

Hinamori and Rukia sat on their beds in their nightclothes, getting ready to go to sleep.

Hinamori had found out that Renji and Kira were in her Zanpakutou training class, and all four friends were together in their Kidou class.

All in the first two days, Hinamori had made three new friends, and discovered many things about herself. She had found out that she was more interested in history than she thought, her battle skills were decent, as was her swordsmanship, she was not bad at her training either.

But what amazed her and everyone else the most were her Kidou skills. She had perfect accuracy and precision, even from very far distances. Her sensei for that class had said that she could hit a gnat in a tangle of bushes 500 miles away, although she thought that he was over exaggerating a bit.

All she had done was hit a bull's-eye, what was so special about that?

Kira had blown his to pieces as well; she saw nothing special at first.

She thought that anyone could do that.

But apparently she was wrong, _very_ wrong.

Only a handful of the hundreds of newcomers had managed to even hit a corner of the target, but Hinamori had smashed it into pieces from hitting the center.

"Wow." Rukia told her presently. "I still can't believe how good your Kidou is!" She praised.

"Arigatou." Hinamori blushed a bit, and pulled her sheets over her head.

Since the dorm rooms were so large, they did not use bunk beds, but separate beds, on opposite side of the room. Hinamori heard Rukia yawn and then her friend's voice saying a phrase that sent stabs of pain through her chest.

"Oyasuminasai, Hinamori-chan." The muffled voice met her ears, and a single tear trickled onto the pillow of the brown-haired girl.

"Oyasuminasai." Hinamori repeated.

However, it was not only Rukia that she was wishing good night to.

**A/N: Did you like it? Any mistakes? Please tell me!**

**Please review!!**


	8. Old Friends

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or the characters.**

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Chapter 8. Old Friends

Hitsugaya looked up at the dull, Autumn sky, lazy clouds strolled sluggishly behind the naked trees.

Although it was early in the morning, he was sitting on the porch, burying his face in a cold watermelon, alone.

Something told him that today was going to be a good day, although ever since Hinamori had left, every day for him had been lonely and miserable. But there was just something right about today, it whispered through the wind in the trees and swished in the swirling waters of the small stream nearby.

As he finished up the watermelon that he had been snacking on, Hitsugaya glanced something in the distance. It was a figure, of a person of course, and the instant he saw that figure he jumped up; it was none other than his Bed-Wetter Momo.

He called to his grandmother and then tried to calm himself down, he did not want to look like he had actually missed her, and he did not know why.

When Hinamori was almost to the house, she seemed to notice Hitsugaya for the first time and took of running towards him, almost knocking him over as she rushed in for a hug.

"Shiro-chan!!" She exclaimed gleefully. He stumbled for a second before regaining his balance, and hugged her back.

"Oy, Bed-Wetter Momo." He joked with a good-natured smile.

As she pulled back, their Obaa-san appeared and was then quickly hugged by the brown-eyed girl. Then, all three of them sat down together on the porch, Hinamori in the middle.

"So why'd you come back? Did you fail or did they just kick you out?" The white-haired boy kidded. He knew that she had made it because she had been away for about a week, and was wearing the Academy's uniform.

"Oh, Toshiro that isn't nice." His grandmother scolded softly. "Pay no mind to him dear, we both know you were accepted. Congratulations." The old woman said.

"Arigatou." Replied the girl.

She then proceeded to inform them of all that she had done at the Academy, including her classes, teachers, and all about the new friends that she had made.

"So, why are you here today? Isn't there class?" Hitsugaya asked.

"No, today's Sunday, which means there are no classes. It's sort of like a free day and the students can do whatever they want really. So I'm going to come and visit you guys every week!" She grinned. Warmth and relief overcame Hitsugaya at these words; he would get to see her at least.

"Why that's wonderful!" Her 'grandmother' said cheerily.

The rest of that day was spent on the porch near a pile of watermelons, telling stories and asking questions. Hinamori proceeded to tell about when a captain from the Gotei 13 came in to inspect the Academy.

"Taichou are just amazing!" She told mainly Hitsugaya in hopes of persuading him to join her school. "Their reiatsu are so much more powerful than ours." And by this time, the boy had buried his face into a watermelon, trying to ignore her feeble attempts to convince him. "Oy, are you even listening Shiro-chan?" She thought that his pet name would make him hear her, which it did.

"I thought I told you a thousand times to stop calling me Shiro-chan!" He avoided her question. Then he spat out an arsenal of watermelon seeds at her and she squeaked. A moment passed before she went on.

"When I become a Shinigami, I'm definitely going to join Aizen taichou's 5th squad." He only nodded sarcastically, doubting anything she said to be true.

"Hey I'm serious!" She told him.

"Mm hm." Was his only mocking response.

After a while, the old woman invited Hinamori to stay for dinner.

"Oh, Obaa-san I would love to!" Hinamori replied. "But the Academy requires that all of its students are back on Sunday nights before 6. Gomenasai." She saw her friend's lively aqua eyes dim a bit at the thought of her leaving already.

"Well that's alright Momo-chan. I just have to make sure that I make dinner early from now on. Now, you had best be off, we don't want you getting into trouble." Hinamori gave her Obaa-san a hug before turning to Hitsugaya.

"Okay then, I'm going, Shiro-chan." She said playfully patting his spiky hair, and his eyebrow twitched in irritation.

"Quit calling me Shiro-chan!" He huffed. "And don't pat my head!" He pushed her away.

"When you enroll in the same place as me, then I'll call you by your name." She promised.

"Forget that! As if I'd even want to go to Shinigami school!"

She just grinned.

"I'll still come back to see you on holidays and weekends!" Then, with a final smile, she turned away and began skipping back down the path she had come.

"Don't come back, Bed-Wetter Momo!" He called after her sarcastically.

* * *

Hinamori walked alongside Rukia in the school courtyards.

It was nearing the end of the day and the two were walking back to their dorms together, with Renji and Kira trailing a little ways behind.

"Where do you go every Sunday?" Rukia's question was out of the blue. Every Sunday since she enrolled, Hinamori had always gone off somewhere that no one ever bothered to ask about. She was always back before the designated time though, so the raven-haired girl figured that wherever she went was not far.

"Oh, I visit my best friend and Obaa-san. I told you about them neh?"

Rukia pondered for a moment and then seemed to remember.

"Oh you mean the boy you used to live with, with the spiky white hair and you call her Obba-san even though you're not related? Them?" She asked without thinking.

Hinamori laughed.

"No my _other _best friend and his Obaa-san." The two giggled and continued to walk, and then said their good-byes as the boys had to go a different way to reach their dorm.

"Tomorrow's your big day." Rukia pointed out to her friend; again the comment came out of nowhere.

"I know, and I'm really nervous! School's only been going on for a month! How do they expect us to go fight Hollow already?" She was shaking and trembling with fear. Rukia placed her hands on her shoulders.

"Hey, hey! Take it easy Hinamori-chan! It's not like your going alone. You'll have almost half of the Academy with you and a bunch of your sensei too. I just can't go because I have to make up Kidou practice, but Kira and Renji are going. And besides, they're just dummy Hollow. Its not like you'll be fighting the real thing. Trust me, you'll be fine."

Her words seemed to re-assure the chestnut-eyed girl a bit and they just walked together back to the dorms. When they reached their room, Hinamori automatically threw herself onto her bed with a sigh. She had been cheerful until Rukia brought up the topic of the training with dummy Hollow, so the older girl decided to switch back to the prior topic.

"So, what's this Shiro-chan of yours like?" She asked. The other girl rolled over and mumbled.

"Boy Kuchiki-san! You have the most random things to say today."

"Would you _please_ stop calling me that? Call me Rukia." She pleaded again. "'Kuchiki-san' makes it sound like I'm royalty! You don't have to be so formal just because I'm a few years older than you." She stated. Hinamori sat up and somehow, this caused a smile to come across her lips. "What's so funny?" Rukia quirked an eyebrow.

"Hm? Oh its nothing." The chestnut-eyed girl replied. But Rukia knew better.

"When you don't pay attention that means you're daydreaming. The question is, about what?" She sat down on the bed opposite her friend and folded her hands in her lap, waiting for a reply.

"Its just…name-wise, you're just like him." She said softly.

"Who? Toshiro?" Rukia posed the question.

Hinamori nodded.

"I call him Shiro-chan because his hair is white, and I just came up with the nickname one time. He says that he doesn't like it, but deep down, I think that he secretly does. Sumimasen, I'll call you whatever you want me to…Rukia-san."

A pang of guilt went through Rukia's heart. Somehow, that name did not sound right coming from Hinamori's lips, or maybe it was just the fact that Hinamori was unhappy. Either way, at that moment, Rukia hated her name, for it was what Hinamori had said when she was sad.

The shorter, raven-haired girl realized now just why her friend treated her so formally. It brought back memories of her best friend to just simply call her by a different name.

"No, gomenasai." Rukia sighed. "I was being insensitive, and I had no right to make you call me something you didn't want to."

"No, it's _your _name Rukia-san." Hinamori contradicted. Now, she was a little less sad, and Hinamori's calling Rukia by her desired title did not sound as bad.

"Alright, just call me whatever comes to mind that fits." Rukia giggled, and the other girl did as well. "Why are we arguing about _names_ anyway?" She asked good-heartedly.

The two of them laughed a bit longer, before finally getting dressed and curling up under the sheets.

They exchanged their usual 'oyasumi's and fear once again came over Hinamori at the thought of her upcoming test.

* * *

**A/N: Gomen, I know that whole name thing was a bit confusing, so just ask me any questions you may have.**

**Ugh! The day I posted this chapter was my first day of school! It was horrible! I had to get up at 5:45am and my new school is so big and confusing! I got 6 heavy textbooks on the first day! (cries) And this is only 9th grade!**

**So I thought posting a chapter of Houkiboshi and getting some reviews would make me feel better. **

**Please review!!**


	9. Dangerous Departure

**Disclaimer: I did not own Bleach last chapter and I do not own it now.**

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Chapter 9. Dangerous Departure

Hinamori awoke the next morning with a start, thinking that she was late for the trip for her exams and fights against dummy Hollow.

Rukia had woken up first today, which was unusual; usually the brown-haired girl was always up first. Rukia had walked over to her friend's bed and softly placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hinamori-chan." She whispered while shaking her slightly. "It's time to get up-"

Before she could finish, Hinamori was sitting up straight in bed with a gasp. Rukia jumped back with a squeak of surprise.

"H-Hinamori-chan, doushita?" Her friend was leaning over in her bed, panting as if she had just broken the surface of the water of unforgiving rapids. Finally, she managed to look up into the concerned, violet eyes of her friend.

"Oh, Rukia-san its o-only you." She wheezed.

"Gomenasai," Rukia apologized. "Did I scare you _that_ badly?"

"N-no." Hinamori shook her head. "It was just a…bad dream…" Her small voice trailed off and Rukia could just barely make out what she said. But soon, the panting girl had looked up to see how light it was outside the window and shrieked. "Oh my goodness! I'm going to be late!" She quickly threw the sheets off of her, grabbed her uniform, got changed, said good-bye to Rukia and with a wish of good luck from her friend, was out the door in a flash.

She sped down the hallways and burst through the doors, running as fast as she could across the courtyards until she reached the school itself. She did not go inside, but instead she continued to run around to the back of the building and up a flight of stairs that lead to the roof. She finally flew up the last of the steps and landed on the top of the Academy.

She glanced around and thought that everyone else had left already and that she was too late. But then she caught a glimpse of a small group of students off to the side.

They were not assembled like they were about to go fight Hollow, but more like it were lunchtime. They were all just talking and sitting there as if they were skipping class, and Hinamori thought that they were, until she saw Hisagi and two other older students standing a little way off, murmuring to each other quietly and often glancing around in disappointment.

Cautiously, Hinamori made her way over to the group of students and spotted the familiar face of Izuru.

"Kira-kun!" She piped out in excitement of seeing a familiar face. Hearing his name and her voice that was saying it, the blonde boy turned around and smiled at her.

"Hey there Hinamori-kun." He responded while turning to face her. Hinamori lowered her voice to a whisper.

"What's everyone doing? Why are we all gathered out here like this? Is there something wrong?" She asked under her breath. Izuru glanced around at the small number of students that had arrived; no more than 15, not including the sensei.

"Hisagi sensei and the others are aggravated because only a small number of students have shown up _on time_. It's just you and the rest of us." He sighed.

Hinamori did lighten up at the fact that she was not late, but now impatience was creeping over and she wanted to get going, although she was ridiculously nervous.

"Wait, isn't Abarai-kun supposed to be coming today as well?" She cocked her head to one side. Izuru stole a glance down to the courtyards below, but then his eyes drifted back to her.

"Hai." He said. "He is_ supposed_ to be coming today, but as usual, we can all see that he's late, just like _everybody_ else. Hisagi sensei and the others are trying to spare time for them so that they can all get here on time to leave. We only have until a certain time when we can enter though the spiritual passage to get to the training grounds today and people like Renji are wasting _our_ time in being late." There was a little impatience in his voice as he spoke about the red-haired boy.

Just then, Hisagi turned to the small group of students that were already assembled.

"Alright everyone, it looks like we're leaving without the rest of 'em." But only seconds later, a mob of students, including Renji, were hurriedly making their ways up to the roof of the building, shouting and blaming each other that they were going to get in trouble.

Hisagi and the two other sensei turned around at their arrival, and the purple-haired one sighed with annoyance. Then, he informed everyone to make a group so that everyone could see as he explained what they would be doing that day.

But of course, poor Hinamori was granted the view of nothing above Izuru's shoulder and the fact that Renji blocked her view to the left and to the right was a hundred-foot plummet to the courtyards below, she could do nothing more that stay put and listen.

She made out Hisagi sensei speaking. "First, we'll do simple introductions. I'm sixth round student, Hisagi." Announced the man with the purple hair who Hinamori had come to know as her favorite sensei. She did not fully understand the marking of '69' on his face, but that was unimportant to her.

Next, a shorter, light haired, girl, who just barely made the height of Shuuhei's shoulder, spoke.

"I am Kainsawa." Was all that she said before the last of them introduced himself.

"I'm Aoga." He said unenthusiastically raising one hand and then lowering it again.

"The three of us will be your guides." Hisagi spoke again.

Instantly, murmurs and whispers of shock broke throughout the crowd. Even Izuru looked dumbfounded as Renji asked him,

"What the heck? Are those Senpai famous?" Hinamori heard their hushed conversation over everyone else's, considering the fact that they were standing next to her. Izuru turned on Renji.

"You don't know?!" He hissed. "Not all of them, the one in the middle." Then, Hinamori tried to drown out the rest of their conversation and focus on the sensei like she had been told to do.

However, she overheard Izuru lecturing Renji on how he should have known that Hisagi Shuuhei was famous, and then brag about how he thought of surpassing him since he had not failed the exams.

"He's failed twice on the entrance exam for this academy. In that sense, my talent might be greater since I passed at the top of my class." He grinned, while Renji just twitched an eyebrow in annoyance.

But, Hinamori knew the actual reason of why Izuru had passed.

But, maybe it was true that he was smart and would have passed anyway without the help of special rules this year, but Hinamori held her tongue.

After a few moments of explaining what the group was about to do, Kainsawa sensei gave out instructions.

"Okay then, starting now we'll have you conduct activities in groups of three. Look at the cards we had you pick earlier and form groups with other members who have the same marking." The group began to depart and disperse, shouting out and searching for others in their group.

Now that the students had broken apart, there was more room, and so Hinamori stepped away from the edge of the building with relief and began to search for her team. She quickly saw the Izuru and Abarai had already found partners; each other.

Hinamori prayed that she would get a friend on her team as well. As she searched, she found no one with similar markings, and soon the number of team-less students dwindled, and poor Hinamori was one of the last ones. She approached Renji and Kira and overheard them yet again.

"I knew that these were for something like that." The red haired boy stated, glancing at his paper.

"But it's groups of three right? Who's the third?" Kira looked around brusquely.

Hinamori approached them from behind, and happened to see that the symbols on their papers were identical to hers. She sighed with relief.

"A-ano." Her voice was shaky with the thought of the upcoming assessment and she sounded so frail that they hardly heard her, but the two turned around. "Pleasure to work with you." Hinamori joked with sarcastic formality.

"Aw, it's just Hinamori." Renji said, unenthusiastically. Yet Kira smiled and replied to her small joke.

"Pleasure to work with you." He pretended to sound as though they had never met her before.

Hinamori could tell simply by looking at him that he was thrilled and ready to get going, and she only wished that she shared his confidence. Then, all of the students fell silent and turned when they heard Aoga sensei.

"Okay, everyone's in groups? Now we'll give a summary of today's filed training…" The sensei proceeded to explain that they would be training with dummy Hollow in a certain barrier limit. Then, Hisagi informed them that even though the sixth round students would be setting up easy locations for them to fight in, they would not assist them in battle.

"But this could be dangerous, so always have an ally in sight, understand?" He did not wait for a reply. "Let's go!"

"Hai!" Was the unanimous response.

The purple haired man turned toward the spirit gate behind him.

After the command was shouted, the massive doors parted and a brilliant white light blasted from inside it. Hisagi and the other sixth round students stepped into the light, and the younger students soon followed, some excited, some unsure, and some reluctant.

In a matter of seconds, everything in Hinamori's eyes went white and blurry.

But then, only a few seconds later, she could once again see the sharp outlines of shapes of another world.

**A/N: SOOO sorry it takes so long to update, but getting the actual dialogue from the episodes is tougher than it sounds --' And sorry for the slight cliffhanger.**

**Please review!!**


	10. How It All Began

**Hiya everyone! Guess what?! I have finished writing chapter 25 of Houkiboshi! Which means I am halfway through! So, to celebrate and because you are all so patient, I am giving you 2 new chapters as a gift! Thanks for reading and staying with me!  
**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOOOOT OWN BLEACH!**

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Chapter 10. How It All Began

Hinamori jolted and swung her head around towards where the noise was coming from.

There was a gray cloud of dust surrounding the corner of a nearby building, and within seconds, the structure fell to the ground. From the midst of the debris, Renji, with his sword drawn, flew down from the collapsing building and landed on the ground below. He gritted his teeth in annoyance of failing to destroy the Dummy.

"Hinamori, it's coming to you!" He called to her.

The girl saw the approaching Hollow and knew that her only option at that angle was Kidou. She quickly placed her hands together and called out. "Way of Destruction No. 31, Shakahou!" A blast of blinding red light flew from her palms and she squeezed her eyes closed from the light.

A thick, gray cloud surrounded her enemy and she thought that she had it. However, when she re-opened them, she only saw that she had just barely missed her target, which was now headed in another direction.

Well, at least it was _that_ direction.

"Kira-kun!" She called to her comrade.

Only seconds after he had been summoned, Izuru had brought down his sword and sliced the Hollow, causing it to explode in another thick cloud of dust. The blonde boy landed neatly as he sheathed his sword. He looked up and smiled with satisfaction as he saw Renji running towards him.

"Kira!" He called as he reached the other boy.

"Abarai-kun!" He was relieved that both of his friends were unhurt and Hinamori jumped down beside them.

"That was unexpectedly simple." Renji concluded.

"It's because of our triple play. If it were solo it wouldn't have gone like that." Izuru told him. But the taller boy just said that it would have been a piece of cake for him even if it had been a real Hollow. Hinamori rolled her eyes and just followed behind the two as they started to head back to where the sensei and other students were waiting.

Suddenly, a strange feeling came over her and she felt a very unusual and intimidating reiatsu. She turned around but then the feeling vanished like a dewdrop in a desert. But she continued to look back, uncertain if she should warn the others or if it was just her imagination.

However, she thought that the fearful sensation in her body told her that there was something there. By now, Kira and Renji had turned around, noticing her absence.

"Oy. Doushita, Hinamori?" Renji spoke to her. At the sound of his voice, Hinamori came back into reality and turned back to them.

"Ah, I-it's n-nothing." She said unsteadily, and she continued walking back with them, an uncomfortable feeling still lingering in the air behind her and following her, telling her that she should have spoken up sooner.

* * *

Hisagi tried desperately to make contact with the other sixth round students, but all of his efforts were in vain.

There was no reply, from any of them. Only he and the other two sensei that Hinamori was familiar with were gathered there with the students.

"Something's not right." Hisagi gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. "No one from the barrier team is responding." His voice was dark.

Suddenly, before the sensei could ponder about what to do in their situation, a ferocious roar broke out and echoed menacingly throughout the cold, empty town. All present Shinigami whipped around at the sound, only to find the huge, lumbering shadow of a Hollow larger than Hinamori could ever have imagined existed.

She froze completely; her feet were rooted to the spot. Everyone was so utterly shocked at the unexpected appearance of the Hollow that they only snapped back into reality when they heard a scream. Hinamori tried to look away, but fear did not allow her to and forced her to see the limp and bloody figure of Kanisawa senpai fall to the ground. There was then a furious shout from Aoga, but then, the way the Hollow roared, and the students screeched told Hinamori that he too had been killed only seconds later.

"I-It's a…Huge Hollow." Hisagi stammered, drawing his Zanpakutou and staring at the spot where his comrades had stood only seconds before. Then, he remembered just what was happening and that there were students here and that they were all in terrible danger. "Run away, first-years! Run as far as you can!" He shouted at the top of his voice.

They did not need to be told a second time.

The students began to turn and flee; leaving Hisagi to deal with the Hollow by himself. Kira and Renji turned tail and fled as well; Hinamori saw them in the crowd with all of the others out of the corners of her eyes as they all passed her.

But she still could not move. She was totally numb, and no longer had a choice if she wanted to move or not. Her body decided that for her, and did not let her move.

People pushed past her, knocking into her and continued to run, but still she could not take her eyes away from the scene before her, that consisted of the Huge Hollow and only one out of three sixth round students that had brought them there.

_Why…_She wondered, all of the fear suddenly melted away, and the slightest bit of courage seized the brown-eyed girl. _What is everyone running for? _

Kira had almost passed her and not noticed her at all, but he stopped dead in his tracks and caused Renji to stop as well.

"What are you doing, Hinamori-kun?!" Izuru shouted to her so that she could hear over the commotion. But Hinamori did not budge. "He told us to run away! The group leader's orders are absolute!" His efforts were in ineffective.

"Demo…" Her chestnut-brown eyes that were filled with fear only moments before were now filled with a burning determination to fight. Her mind told her that it was _her_ turn to show her skills and assist her friends in battle.

Meanwhile, Hisagi was trying to reach Seireitei and call for backup. Suddenly, he was cut off when the Hollow leapt at him with a howl. He drew his Zanpakutou and slashed, blood spattered but it was not enough to slow the beast down. The last of the students had just fled, except for three certain first-years.

"It's useless!" Renji was shouting at Hinamori. "_Two _sixth rounders got taken out in an _instant_!" But it seemed as though his warnings only encouraged her, for the fierce willpower that surged throughout her body finally overtook her.

They only realized what she intended to do when she suddenly broke away from them and headed away towards Hisagi.

"HINAMORI!" Renji shouted after her as Izuru gasped in alarm. They shared an uncomfortable glance, but then reluctantly followed after her.

By now, Hisagi had lost quite an amount of blood, but the Hollow was almost untouched. There was blood leaking out over Shuuhei's eyes and it was getting even harder to see his enemy and make a move. He knew that backup would not come in time, and he knew that he was going to die.

"Dammit, I can't…see ahead clearly." He murmured to himself as he stared down at the blood dripping off of his face. _This is just like last year_. He thought. _The ambush…almost all of their students killed…less than 30 had come back…No, not again…not again…_ His thoughts trailed off and the memories haunted him once again.

He was so lost in the horrible images of the past that he only stood there as the Hollow charged him. He closed his eyes only to wind up re-opening them a few seconds later as he heard the sound of metal clashing and a blood-curdling roar.

He slowly opened his eyes to see three of his first year students standing in front of him, each one blocking off a deadly claw.

"Sumimasen." Apologized the blonde boy. "I know that we're disobeying orders, demo…"

And after that, what happened was all very blurry to Hinamori.

All that she remembered was that as they fought off that one Hollow, and more and more just appeared out of what seemed nowhere. She remembered indescribable fear and terror that froze her heart and numbed her entire body. She recalled her comrades shaking beside her and an outburst from Izuru that he did not want to die, and she knew that she found herself silently agreeing with him. She witnessed the monsters coming forth and only mere feet away from taking all of their lives…until…until…

She saw two men standing in front of them, one with short, smooth, silver hair, and one with brown hair, wearing a taichou's haori. And she remembered, in about a minute, all of the Hollow were dead.

The brown haired taichou had walked over to her, and then she recognized him as the taichou that had come to inspect the Academy earlier. He had walked calmly over to her, and rested his hand on her head, saying that it was all right and that she need not worry anymore. She saw sincerity and caring in his tranquil, brown eyes and she soon felt the numbness fade and leave her body.

And at that very second in time, she knew that she had a goal that she needed to achieve, for she desired to serve him until the day she died.

This man, there was something about him that she could not help but admire, yet she did not know what. She envied the silver haired man that was currently known as his lieutenant.

Hinamori then remembered being taken back to the Academy along with her companions. She remembered saying goodbye to her saviors and thanking them from the bottom of her heart. She remembered wishing her friends and sensei good night as she wearily made her way back to her room.

And there, she remembered seeing the distraught, worried and relieved face of her roommate, who had been frightened sick for her, since she had not returned until about midnight.

And Hinamori remembered as she fell onto her bed and fell unconscious with sleep almost automatically, dreaming of the vow that she made that she would serve under Aizen taichou, until she breathed her last breath.

* * *

**A/N: Gomen, it kinda skipped around at the end.**

**Yay! Next chapter starts the songfics! As you may know, all chapters after this one will be songfics except the last one. You can go to my profile or ask me for more info.**

**Please reivew!!**


	11. Wake Me Up When September Ends

**First songfic chapter! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Songfic song by Greenday.**

* * *

Chapter 11. Wake Me Up When September Ends

The woman who was known as the Obaa-san of a little white haired boy and his friend was strolling through town that morning to gather something to eat for lunch that day for her grandson.

Once she had found what she was looking for, she purchased the food and began to walk back home. Her sandals patted along the pebbled path; it was a small path that only she really used, and no one else knew about it. Only she used it because it led to her house and nothing else, so no one else had any reason to use it except for the people that lived there, or used to live there.

As she heard a distant rumble of thunder, she knew that the Fall weather promised rain and she quickened her pace. Sprinkles of a drizzle fell down to the worlds below, and she heard another blast of thunder and saw a faint flash of lightning. She despaired, for she was still a ways from her home.

Then, she heard what she thought at first to be thunder, but then she came to realize that it was much deeper and longer than the blasts she had heard only moments ago. As she shook off the feeling that she was being watched, she heard the noise again and instantly knew it was not thunder.

She spun around as the growl came again, and saw a large shadowy figure looming over her.

She let out a short scream, but it was cut short as the bags she had been carrying fell to the ground and their contents splattered and broke.

A river of blood then trickled down the pathway, following and merging with the streams of the rain.

* * *

Hinamori sighed with relief as she entered her final class of the day; Kidou.

She walked into the courtyard and quickly spotted Renji, Kira and Rukia sitting together and she raced over to them. "Hi everyone! Does anyone know what today's lessons are?" She asked her friends.

"I think we're shooting at the targets again." Renji replied sounding a bit annoyed.

"Aw not that again! We've been doing that all week!" Hinamori pouted.

"Hey," Rukia spoke up. "We all know that _you_ are a master at Kidou, but _some_ of us still need a _lot _of practice." She laughed while jabbing Renji in his side with her elbow.

"Shut the Hell up Rukia!" He growled, and the other three laughed.

Just then, their sensei called for them to line up so that they could divide them into groups, and once that was finished the four friends met up again.

"What groups are you guys in?" Hinamori asked.

"One." Rukia told the others.

"Two." Renji said sounding bored.

"Three." Kira smiled.

"Aw! I'm in group 4!" Hinamori pouted again.

"Well now we can see each other go at separate turns." Rukia pointed out, and they nodded.

As the first group was called up, Hinamori sat and watched with the two boys as Rukia fired her shot at the target. It brushed the edge and destroyed an upper corner of it. And as Rukia walked over to them she smirked at Renji. "Ha! Beat that!"

"Shut _up!_" Renji hissed because he knew that he could not. He wound up firing a shot that looked like a drunken snake and almost hit a target six rows away from his own, and Rukia laughed hysterically.

Izuru did fairly well however, hitting the bull's-eye nearly in the center, as was expected from him.

And as the fourth group was called up, Hinamori took her stance and repeated the phrase. Her eyes followed the red shot she had fired, and they followed it all the way to the target, which was shattered into a million tiny pieces. Some students gasped, while others just looked static; by now they knew that it was normal for Hinamori to hit perfectly each time.

Rukia and Kira congratulated her while Renji gave a snort of jealousy.

"Hinamori!" Someone shouted her name and she spun around in surprise to face her sensei. She thought that she was about to get into trouble, but then the man motioned for her to follow him, and when he spoke, her heart almost stopped beating.

Seeing that she seemed on the verge of becoming sick, her three friends sprang up and dashed over to her.

"Hinamori-chan! Daijobu desu ka?" Rukia asked concerned while supporting her and trying to keep her from collapsing.

"O-Obaa-san is…" She began to shake and then suddenly she burst into tears, and she fell to her knees.

Her sensei gave a look of sympathy and then turned away to dismiss the crowd that was starting to form. Renji and Kira exchanged horrified glances and then stared down at their friend as Rukia knelt down next to her.

The chestnut-eyed girl threw herself into her friend's arms and sobbed uncontrollably. "Oh Kuchiki-san…" She managed to whimper before breaking into tears again.

And her three friends could only stay there by her side in her time of hurt and need.

* * *

Hinamori limped slowly down the path that had led to her old home, her old life, and her old family that was now split in half.

She wore a long, black kimono, and carried a bouquet of white daisies in her hands as the harsh, Autumn wind blew in the opposite direction of which she was headed. The world seemed to be darkened and melting in a dreary and miserable sadness bleeding gray and merging with the dead sky.

She soon found herself gazing at her old home; a small little cottage that got them by, or…_had_ gotten them by.

Suddenly, she spotted a small boy standing on the porch in front of the house. He was wearing all black, just as she was, and they both looked proportionally deprived. When she was in sight, he seemed to sense her there and he lifted his head and their eyes met again, and although they had seen each other so many times, it was as if they had not seen the other in years.

The two friends stood frozen there for a moment in time, before the boy jumped down and raced over to her. She dropped the daisies onto the ground, a pure, snow-white bundle splayed out on the colorlessly drained earth. She parted her arms and he threw himself into her warm embrace.

"Oh Momo-chan…" He whispered. She closed her arms around him as a teardrop trickled down her face.

"Toshiro." Then she collapsed to the ground with him and they both wept for what seemed to be an eternity; and it was as if neither one of them would ever get up again.

They were both crushed, but she was crushed because she knew that the woman she came to know to be her Obaa-san was really his Obaa-san. And she knew that her death caused him twice as much pain as it caused her.

But her heart was torn twice as much from that, because not only did she loose the sweet old lady who had cared for her all of that time and helped bring her friend into the world, she was also heartbroken because she knew that her friend would never be the same.

* * *

The girl and the boy stood side-by-side as the flower-encrusted casket was laid into the gray soil of the earth.

Only a few others who had known their Obaa-san had attended the funeral.

The rain that had started to fall on that dreadful day still drizzled down on them. It was just another sign of the harsh Autumn weather; it had also rained the day that their grandfather had died.

The little boy moved closer to his friend. "It's not fair." He whispered. "It wasn't fair then and it's not fair now. It's never fair. The people you care about can never live as long as they should, do they? Just because you care about them they die." He sniffed, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Don't say that Toshiro, you know it's not true." Hinamori tried to tell her friend, but she soon found herself doubting her own words, as his seemed to be all too true.

**_Summer has come and past _**

**_The innocent can never last_**

**_Wake me up _**

**_When September ends_**

"It just isn't right!" He cried. "Ojii-san passed away just this Spring, and now…and now it's Obaa-san. I only like Winter and Summer now. Winter was always my favorite, and I used to like Spring…but not anymore. Summer's already over and now it's Fall…It all happened too fast…"

**_Like my father's come to pass_**

**_Seven years has gone so fast_**

**_Wake me up_**

**_When September ends_**

The rain continued to patter ruthlessly down upon the heads of the girl and boy dressed in black.

"It was raining that day too…in Spring…" He squeezed the hand of the girl tighter and she winced. She had never seen him in so much pain before, she knew that he loved his Ojii-san, but she also knew that he was even closer to his Obaa-san.

**_Here comes the rain again_**

**_Falling from the stars_**

**_Drenched in my pain again_**

**_Becoming who we are_**

The two friends watched helplessly as the casket was lowered into the earth and then finally rested and lay still.

And as the two of them watched as the person they thought they cherished the most the pain melted away slightly in knowing that she could now rest in peace forever.

And even though they were glad that all of her troubles were over, neither would ever forget her, nor any of the countless others who had left that world before her.

**_As my memory rests_**

**_But never forgets what I lost_**

**_Wake me up_**

**_When September ends_**

Memories of that past Summer flowed through their minds, how the kind old woman would always tell them to go out and play on a bright day, to be careful when they ran through the forest, and the caring look in her eyes whenever they got scared or hurt.

**_Summer has come and past_**

**_The innocent can never last_**

**_Wake me up_**

**_When September ends_**

The soil began to slowly pile atop the casket covered in daisies, tulips, lilies, carnations, roses…

A low, monotonous drumming sounded from the large silver bells that dangled nearby in the cemetery.

It was just like the funeral two seasons ago…

**_Ring out the bells again_**

**_Like we did when Spring began_**

**_Wake me up_**

**_When September ends_**

The minutes slowly dragged on and united with hours, causing the shadows to become longer, darker, and sadder.

The stars began appearing steadily in the violet sky above, the moon shaded in behind the mist took on the form of a cat's claw. The rain continued to beat the damp and worn earth, which held so many forgotten and loved ones deep in its dark, lonely chambers.

**_Here comes the rain again_**

**_Falling from the stars_**

**_Drenched in my pain again_**

**_Becoming who we are_**

As the last bit of soil covered the last visible part of their grandmother's final resting place, each of the children took one last look at the casket before it was completely covered and concealed, never to be seen ever again, nor was their Obaa-san.

"Oyasuminasai, Obaa-san." The white haired boy blinked and a crystal tear fell down and fertilized the soil that held such precious memories.

"Oyasuminasai." The girl repeated, as a tear of her own followed.

**_As my memory rests_**

**_But never forgets what I lost_**

**_Wake me up_**

**_When September ends_**

The boy and the girl were the last to leave, and as they turned away from the newly upturned soil, the large, droning bell rang out again.

It sent vibrations that caused their hearts to shudder and the echoes rang out across all of Soul Society.

And as they both lay in their old bed, together that night, as neither had anywhere else to go at the time, a feeling of loneliness overcame them both. Memories of the long gone Summer ran through their heads and they could only wish that they could go back to those times.

But they knew that they could not, and the closest that they could ever come to going back to that time, was in their dreams.

**_Summer has come and passed_**

**_The innocent can never last_**

**_Wake me up _**

**_When September ends_**

Toshiro shifted in bed beside Momo and she heard him stifle a murmur.

"All right, you guys win, I'll do it. It was her last wish. I'll enter the Shinigami Academy."

The world outside kept turning, but their world had stopped turning a long time ago and they prayed that it stayed still forever. The rain pattered roughly onto the roof and covered the soaked windows in small rivers.

And a cruel Autumn breeze blew by, a loud crash of thunder blasted, and a flash of lightning lit up the world for a second; but only a second.

**_Like my father's come to pass_**

**_Twenty years has gone so fast_**

**_Wake me up_**

**_When September ends_**

**_Wake me up_**

**_When September ends_**

**_Wake me up_**

**_When September ends._**

* * *

**A/N: Please review.**


	12. Angel By My Side

**I am SOOO sorry that it is taking so long to update. I have so much work and school, but this is the first story I will work on during any free time! But hey! I know some people who do not update for over 2 months sometimes. And one person in particular coughcoughRanTsukicough who once took over 7 months to update one chapter! (Sorry, RanTsuki, but we both know its true, but I still love you!!)**

**Special thanks to my good old friend TakaraShiro.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Songfic song by Do. **

* * *

Chapter 12. Angel By My Side

Sunlight was filtering through the windows and gave pale light to the whole of Soul Society.

Hitsugaya stood outside of the 5th division building and waited for his friend to emerge. When she finally arrived at the door, she invited him in and he followed her inside. She sat down at her desk and he remained standing.

"I see that you're getting used to things quickly." He commented.

"Why? You're not?" She looked up from her papers to glance at him.

"Well, let's just say that it's not as easy as it might seem." He sighed.

The two of them had come so far.

After his grandmother had passed away, Hitsugaya agreed to Hinamori's terms, and joined the Shinigami Academy, where he was accepted immediately because of his surprisingly intense reiatsu. Because of his superior powers, he had only attended the Academy for a short time, until he was summoned to join the Gotei 13 in advance, and been automatically moved to the position of taichou.

Hinamori had secretly thought it unfair, because she had started so much earlier than him, and she was not yet guaranteed a position in the Guard Squads yet. But she congratulated her friend and wished him luck, hoping that she would get to see him again one day. He had only been in the same school as her for less than two years.

Soon afterwards, Rukia had been adopted by the Kuchiki family and gotten a position on Squad 13. And then, finally, Hinamori had received her own shihakushou and she, Kira and Renji had all been accepted into division 5. However, eventually, Renji was moved to division 11 and later, became lieutenant of division 6. Kira was appointed as lieutenant of Squad 3, and Hinamori was kept in the 5th division and was made fukuutaichou and stayed by the side of the one and only Aizen Souske.

And of course, Hitsugaya was assigned to take on the roll of taichou of Squad 10. He had not been too thrilled with it at first, he was excited, but he did not fancy the thought of taking on so much responsibility and work. And apparently, no one else in Squad 10 had thought much of their young, short captain. But he had quickly proven himself, as the second they sensed his icy reiatsu; they knew that he was no ordinary boy.

And then, there was his lieutenant. The second he had layed eyes on her for the first time, he almost burst out in protest to have her dispatched to another squad. Her annoying attitude and voice were obvious from the aura that floated around her, which seemed to bubble with irritating nonsense. And there were a few other…characteristics about her that were not all that appealing to the aqua-eyed boy. But after a while of working with her, he found out that despite her bad drinking habits, she could be a very responsible, caring and wise person. She was almost like an older sister that lived to aggravate him.

Now, as Hinamori let out a sigh, she straightened her papers and blinked her eyes sleepily.

She had always known that she had had feelings for the boy that she grew up with, but now that they were on different squads, she did not get to see him much anymore.

But from the second that she had re-opened her eyes and found herself in Seireitei, he was the first thing that she had seen, staring down into her eyes with concern, and then asking her if she was alright. She had blushed and nodded, and then he had asked her name, and after that small exchange of words, she knew that she had found someone precious and she did not ever want to let him go.

_**In this life, we all search for something**_

_**Something good, and something oh so pure**_

_**Well I believe, if you find that one thing**_

_**You must fight, for then you will be sure**_

She remembered the comforting feelings that had surrounded her whenever she was around him, and the fact that simply his presence was enough to make her shoulders relax.

She wanted to be with him always, and she did not intend to let being on different squads stop them seeing each other.

They were all they had now, all other ties to their old families gone, and not coming back.

_**Could it be, that I have found an angel?**_

_**I can see, heaven in your eyes**_

_**In my soul, I never will be lonely**_

_**For there will be, an angel by my side**_

Not only had they been there for one another when their Obaa-san had died, but they had also helped each other though much more; thick and thin.

So many battles had been fought since they had joined the Gotei 13, so much blood meaninglessly spilled, and so many friends lost to time and combat. Hinamori and Hitsugaya had eventually learned to accept the price of death, but every time they witnessed a comrade fall, a pang of grief would shoot throughout their bodies.

Things went terribly wrong at the Academy as well. More than once, a mission had encountered issues, and more than one person went out and never cam back. But no matter what the problem, they were always there to support one another, just like a sister and brother, only much closer.

_**There were times, I'd never thought I'll make it **_

_**Never dreamed I'd find someone like you **_

_**Who'd be there, when days were at their darkest **_

_**Watching over everything I do **_

_**Could it be, that I have found an angel? **_

_**I can see, heaven in your eyes**_

_**In my soul, I never will be lonely**_

_**For there will be, an angel by my side**_

Hinamori sighed as she signed her signature at the bottom of one of the thousands of pieces of paper.

"I hate paperwork." She mumbled.

"Don't we all?" Hitsugaya smirked. She giggled softly but her grin quickly faded into a sad smile and her eyes were lost in memories.

She remembered when they had been told that they had been accepted into the Gotei 13, and the day where they had stood outside the gates to Seireitei together, wearing their new shihakushous.

"I-I'm scared Toshiro." She had whispered as the gates slowly opened up in front of them.

"What's there to be scared about baka? You'll be fine, trust me."

"B-But what if they don't like me?" She sounded like a younger sister than a friend that was the same age as him.

"Stop worrying. If anything happens we'll find a way to sort it out."

She had been comforted by the fact that he had said 'we' and not 'you'.

"I'll always be here to help you." He said, and she smiled.

But that had all been a long time ago, about 20 years, and even though they had not aged much since then, it had still been a pretty long time. Hinamori was beginning to wonder if he would keep his promise.

"Hinamori, are you okay?" His voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she jolted back into reality to look up at his questioning face.

"H-Hai, I'm fine." She tried to reassure the two of them.

"Really? Because you don't look fine to me." He offered his hand to her and pulled her up from the desk.

He saw a worried look on her face, and concern for her filled him. "Come on, you can tell me. Remember what I said? "If anything happens we'll find a way to sort it out." Her eyes widened at the words he had spoken long before.

She sighed, knowing that she had no other choice but to give in to him.

"Its not much, its just that…Aizen taichou has been acting strange lately. He's always disappearing and never tells me what he's doing." Hitsugaya felt a pang of jealousy. Ever since the time when she had told him about Aizen saving her, Kira and Renji, almost every other thing out of her mouth was Aizen.

He did not like that man, there was just something about him that told him to keep away, but he was Hinamori's captain and it seemed that Hitsugaya would just have to deal with it. Nonetheless, he did not want the girl to worry over such a silly thing.

"That's it?" He asked jokingly. "Hinamori, taichous have a lot of things to do and its normal that we have to rush away sometimes. Don't worry, I'm sure Aizen's fine, probably just has some business to attend to."

She relaxed a little bit at his words, but Hitsugaya knew that she was right to be worried. Nothing was ever as it seemed in Soul Society, and it was never a bad thing to be cautious.

He remembered what he had been told in the Academy, about the ambush and all the lives that had been taken. And the one he could never forget, the one time that Hinamori had almost died while trying to help Hisagi. The only reason that she was alive now was because Aizen had saved her, and the boy guessed that he should thank him for that much.

But still, no one knew what dangers could be lurking about, it would not be the first time that a taichou would do something regrettable. A while back, almost all of the taichous and fukuutaichous in the Gotei 13 had been banished and soon afterwards became Vizard. And of course there was the case of Urahara Kisuke and Shihoin Yuroichi, making illegal experiments and then just fleeing.

But Hitsugaya shook his head free of such treacherous thoughts, for he knew that Aizen would never do anything like that.

Hinamori had been thinking all the while and finally decided that he was right and there was nothing to worry about.

"You're right." She told Hitsugaya, waking him up from his daydreaming.

"I'll be here for you whenever you need me." He told her.

She looked into his eyes, as she had done many times before. She saw the same emotions there, and she read him like a map by his aqua eyes alone. There was truth in his eyes, the protection that only a true friend could offer, and the vow to give that protection whenever it was required. There was something else there too, mixed in with the blue-green color of his irises, but Hinamori could not quite put her finger on it.

But it was something that he could only give to her and no one else, and little did she know, that her own chestnut eyes hid the same thing for him.

_**Could it be, that I have found an angel?**_

_**I can see, heaven in your eyes**_

_**In my soul I never will be lonely**_

_**For there will be, an angel by my side**_

"Well, I have to go." He announced, looking away and breaking their eye contact. Hinamori blushed slightly and stepped away, then led the way to the door and slid it open for him.

"It was great seeing you again." Her blush deepened a few shades as she opened her mouth to say what she had wanted to for so long. But before she could bring herself to tell him, she decided that now was not the right time either, and she closed her mouth. Instead she asked, "Mata ashita?"

He smiled and replied. "Mata ashita." Then he walked out the door and that was the last that she saw of him that day.

But by the way he had said it, she knew for sure that she would see him tomorrow as well.

_**In my soul, I never will be lonely**_

_**For there will be, an angel by my side. **_

* * *

**A/N: Again, so sorry it took so long, school and homework and projects RAWR!**

**FYI: "Mata ashita" means 'see you tomorrow'**

**And just for the people who have not read the Bleach manga to a certain point, Aizen played a big roll in the whole Vizard/Captain/Lieutenant thing. Any questions ask me! Unless you do not want spoilers.**

**Please review!!**


	13. Never Alone

**A/N: Once again SOOO sorry for the wait! You all know the pains of school I am sure...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Songfic song by Barlowgirl.**

* * *

Chapter 13. Never Alone

For once in her life, Hinamori had woken up late.

She leapt out of bed with a gasp when she saw just how late she was and practically threw on her attire and tied up her hair as neatly as she could manage. Scared, at the thought that she was horribly late, the girl dared to glance at the clock in her room and her eyes widened.

"Oh my goodness, look how late I am!" She shrieked. She quickly grabbed her Zanpakutou, as there were special orders that they were allowed to carry them, and she flew down the stairs and raced through the streets of Seireitei.

It was the day after her meeting with Hitsugaya and although he had reassured her yesterday, she still felt uncomfortable about what was going on with her captain. She had waited for him the previous night at his quarters in hopes that he would show up, but he did not. He was not even there that morning to wake her. It seemed that no matter where she waited or for how long, he had not shown up for almost three weeks now and his lieutenant was worried.

In fact, she had not even seen him in that much time, and whenever she searched for him she always returned unsuccessful.

Now, she was frightened and a dark feeling fluttered in her chest like a caged bird.

She knew not what it meant; only that nothing good could come from it.

**_I waited for you, today_**

_**But you didn't show**_

_**No, no, no**_

_**I needed you, today**_

_**So where, did you go?**_

Hinamori bounded over building rooftop after rooftop until she came to a long, tall staircase.

She dashed up it about halfway and then, decided that she would take a shortcut. She veered off to the left and raced through a small, rocky path, after which she leapt up again onto yet another rooftop and continued to rush along to the meeting she was late for.

_**You told me to call,**_

_**You said you'd be there,**_

_**And though I haven't seen you**_

_**Are you still there?**_

As she landed on the last rooftop, Hinamori gathered herself for a mighty leap into the air and she came onto the wooden floor of another level of buildings.

She stopped for a split second to pant for breath before carrying on. "I actually made it." She sighed as she began to run to the building where the lieutenant's meeting would be held. But as she was running, some unknown feeling seemed to force her to slow her pace, until it was no more than a walk.

Then, the brown haired girl turned around to lay her eyes upon whatever had made her stop.

The chestnut pools of pureness and caring melted like dewdrops into pools of shock and terror.

The building behind her was painted and streaked with blood, a trail of it led up to the very top, where a limp figure was pinned into the structure by a sword.

She screamed.

_**I cried out with no reply,**_

_**And, I can't feel you by my side,**_

_**So I'll hold tight to what I know,**_

_**You're here, and I'm never alone**_

Hinamori was completely frozen over in a state of horror and distress, and it seemed that her body was not her own anymore.

She took one shaky step forward, and then heard the shouts and pattering feet of other Shinigami who were racing to where her scream had come from. "Hinamori-kun!" Izuru called her as he, Matsumoto, Hisagi and Tetsuzaemon arrived at her side. He shook her and asked her what was wrong, but she was too frozen to respond; she could only stare at the limp body of her captain.

As the other three saw his corpse, appalled and disbelieving comments were made, about how impossible it was for Aizen to be killed. As Hinamori heard her fellows voices, filled with shock and sorrow, she unconsciously took a few paces forward.

"Aizen…taichou…" She murmured. "No…No…" Finally, her feet came to a halt. She lifted her hands up about chest-level, her fingers curled, as if she were imagining herself clutching her dear taichou's haori, as if he were there. "_**AIZEN TAICHOU!!!" **_She collapsed to the ground on her hands and knees, shivering. _Who did this?…_ She asked herself silently.

As she wept, she did not hear the sound of another set of feet padding up to the assembled fukuutaichou.

"What's all this ruckus so early in the mornin'?" The five lieutenants turned around to face the noncommittal face of Ichimaru Gin. "Uh oh, this here's a serious incident neh?" His voice was almost tauntingly delighted, as if he was happy about Squad 5's loss, or as if he had planned and committed the crime himself.

Suddenly, Hinamori's tears stopped, and her eyes widened slightly, and she recalled the words that Hitsugaya had spoken to her not too long ago. It was after the ryoka had wounded Renji, he had snuck up on her and then warned her: "_Be careful…be careful of 3__rd__ squad. Especially…when Aizen goes out walking alone." _

Realization flooded over Hinamori like a wave, and her chestnut eyes widened even more as she stared at Izuru's captain. She stared at his unwavering, static, grin, and the emotionless expression he showed. Surely he would be upset that one of his fellows was murdered? No. Hinamori knew the truth now; he had everybody fooled.

Precious memories flashed through her mind, how her former captain used to always be there for her, during battle, for comfort, for asking advice, or just being there to give her someone she trusted to talk to.

He would wipe her tears, and make her fears disappear…why did he have to leave her?

_**Although I can not see you,**_

_**And I can't explain, why**_

_**Such a deep, deep, reassurance,**_

_**You placed in my life, oh**_

_**We cannot separate,**_

'_**Cause you're part of me,**_

_**And though you're invisible, **_

_**I'll, trust the unseen**_

A tear slid down her face as rage and hatred boiled inside of her.

Her eyebrows furrowed and she gritted her teeth, and she clenched her fingers into fists.

"WAS IT YOU?!" She cried, quickly gripping the hilt of her sword and she darted forward in an almost invisible movement, tears streaking her face and falling behind her.

As she lifted her Zanpakutou to wipe the smile off of Ichimaru's face for sure, she found her sword had been stopped and metal clashed metal. She gasped, half in surprise, half in tears, as she gazed up at her old friend Izuru. His blue eyes gave her a stern warning and he shook his head, and behind him, Ichimaru smiled, as if he were amused by the poor, confused fukuutaichou's performance, and as if he knew that Izuru would step in.

She almost pulled her sword away and obeyed, but the fury that was rising inside of her was too great to overcome.

"Kira-kun…why?" She asked softly.

"I'm the fukuutaichou of the 3rd squad." He answered simply. "No matter what the reason, I won't permit anyone to point a sword at my taichou."

Again, the girl almost pulled back, but when she saw the captain laugh slightly and then turn to leave, she tired to push past Izuru and pursue him. But again, the blonde lieutenant would not let her pass and he shook his head at her; obviously he was serious about not permitting anyone near the 3rd division captain.

But that mattered not to Hinamori; she _knew_ who had killed her captain, and she was going to get revenge if it was the last thing she ever did.

Determination overflowed her eyes as the man who was getting away with murder walked calmly away, and more tears were shed.

"I'm begging you, get out of the way, Kira-kun!" She pleaded.

"I can't do that." He denied.

She swallowed hard.

"Move! Move!!!" She shouted.

"Stop!" He retorted.

But her persistence did not waver.

"DON'T YOU HEAR ME TELLING YOU TO MOVE?!"

"DON'T YOU HEAR _ME_ TELLING YOU TO STOP?!"

Hinamori could not take it anymore.

"_Hajike, Tobiume!" _With the two simple words, her powerful Zanpakutou was released.

**_I cried out with no reply, _**

**_And, I can't feel you, by my side, _**

**_So, I'll hold tight to what I know, _**

**_You're here, and I'm never alone_**

As she released her Zanpakutou, pink, crimson energy surged around her, and her resolve and the force it produced caused a loud, destructive explosion.

The other lieutenants covered their faces from the dust and debris falling all about them, while Ichimaru strolled calmly away through the brown powder. When it finally cleared somewhat, Hinamori and Izuru were visible again; each forced to slide back from the effects of the explosion.

"Releasing your Zanpakutou in a place like this…" The blonde boy muttered in disgust. "How irresponsible." But the brown-eyed girl paid no attention to his insults. She panted several times from releasing her sword's full power. "Do you even realize what you're doing?!" He was still trying to reason with her, for they had been very close friends, and he did not want her to get into any _more_ trouble. "Don't confuse private matters with public ones, Hinamori fukuutaichou!"

But no matter what he did or said, she just ignored him and raised her sword. She brought it down through the air with full force, emitting a bright, blinding pink light to slice past, only inches away from Izuru. It was headed for the grinning captain, but it careened off course at the last second and smashed into a building.

"I see. In that case I have no choice." Seeing that she was serious about wanting to kill his captain, Izuru had no other choice but to fight her back with all he had.

The girl gasped a few more times, for now she was losing herself; her aim was off because she could no longer control her reiatsu. There was a blazing hatred in her eyes as she glared at Izuru, his captain and back again.

Then the other lieutenant sighed. "I will have to treat you as an enemy." With that he leapt into the air, Zanpakutou drawn. "Raise your head, Wabisuke!" He called forth his Shikai. The silver blade automatically transformed and hooked at the end.

As he brought his sword down on her, Hinamori prepared herself to block and deflect him, but neither of them ever got their chance.

_**We can not separate,**_

_**You're part of me,**_

_**And though you're invisible**_

_**I'll trust the unseen**_

Hinamori and Izuru both found themselves unable to move their Zanpakutou, and as the dust cleared away, they found out why.

Izuru's blue eyes widened, and Hinamori drew in a sharp breath once she saw none other than Hitsugaya.

"Don't either of you move a muscle." He warned, his aqua eyes fierce with rage, and some disbelief.

"Hitsugaya-kun…" The girl breathed. But he did not address her.

"Arrest them both." He ordered the bystanders and the three of them obliged. Hisagi grasped Izuru around the neck and shoulders, while Tetsuzaemon grabbed Hinamori's arms. Matsumoto roughly locked both arms securely around her throat.

"Hitsugaya-kun!" Hinamori panted in dismay. She felt so betrayed…

"Hinamori!" The white haired boy growled. "Is this the time to be fighting each other with swords?" His question stabbed into her like a thorn, guilt beginning to build up inside of her. "Shouldn't our first priority be taking Aizen taichou down from there?" He went on.

Hinamori breathed in again, feelings of misery, embarrassment, betrayal, and pain mixing within her chest.

"I'll make the report to the Commander-General." The young captain decided after a short silence. "Put these two in detention." He ordered the others. "Take them away." His tone was so cold and emotionless that Hinamori felt a stab of sheer pain go through her.

As Matsumoto and the others led Izuru and Hinamori away, Kira hung his head in shame, and Hinamori followed the two leading her slowly. She no longer had the strength to walk correctly, her senses had finally began to come back and she realized just how much of an idiot she was and just how much trouble she was in.

She glared hatefully at Ichimaru as they came near one another. He seemed to smile down at her in victory and triumph, and Hinamori could only suppress her pure loathing for him through her gaze before she closed her chestnut eyes, gritted her teeth, and looked away.

She was defeated.

Then, as they led their captive, they allowed Hinamori to lift her head and glance at her beloved captain as they passed.

As she saw for the last time his body covered and stained with blood, tears almost began to fall, and in her mind, she was screaming for him to wake up. She pleaded silently that this was all just a nightmare she had been living in, and that when she woke up everything would be all right. Or that she was just horribly ill and things would make sense when she got better.

But no matter how much she pleaded, and shouted and cried in her mind, nothing happened.

She did not wake up from a long sleep to see Aizen all right, nor did he suddenly come back to life and be standing there beside her as she wished.

He could not hear her silent pleas; no one could.

**_I cried out with no reply,_**

_**And, I can't feel you, by my side,**_

_**So, I'll hold tight to what I know,**_

_**You're here, and I'm never alone. **_

* * *

**A/N: Okay, I know you guys are probably like 'That never happened in the anime/manga!' Well yeah, its MY fanfic! Like, I KNOW that she was _supposed_ to meet up with Aizen that night, but this is MY fic and I am rewriting the series with some twists so it can fit her's and Hitsugaya's viewpoints better. So NO FLAMERS PLEASE!**

**So you can understand why chapters might take a while to update now cause I got exact lines from the anime. Its actually not that easy to find all the episodes with decent subs and pause it every 5 seconds to type what they are saying and then make it into a story. So _please_, bear with me!**

**Please review!!**


	14. Memories

**Again, I am SOOO sorry for the long waits for the updating! Gomenasai! (bows). Songfic song by Within Temptation.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. D:**

* * *

Chapter 14. Memories

Hitsugaya watched his best friend being taken away by her own friends to jail.

A small flicker of hurt burnt in his chest like a candle at the thought of what he had done to her now. Would she ever forgive him?

"Sumimasen 10th taichou-san, to make you waste yer time on one o' mine." His accent was strangely irritating.

"Ichimaru…" Hitsugaya's voice was steady, but he did not turn to face the other captain. "You… were about to kill Hinamori." He noted knowingly.

An ominous wind blew just then, ruffling their taichou's haori. After a moment, the silver-haired taichou replied.

"Well now, whatever are you talkin' 'bout?" Ichimaru sneered. When the wind had died down, Hitsugaya replied indirectly.

"I'll tell you this now." He warned. "If you make Hinamori spill one drop of blood…" He turned to face his fellow captain now. "I will kill you." His aqua eyes betrayed the fact that he was dead serious. His tone was hiding menace behind its threat, and he glared at the other captain.

If his eyes were opened, the 3rd squad captain would have seen just how much the 10th squad captain meant his words, and how much truth was in them. However, he remained unflagging and stoical as usual.

"That's scary. We'll have to watch her real close-like so no bad guys can get to her." He scoffed.

Tension crackled in the air like lightning between them for a moment.

Anger boiled silently inside of Hitsugaya; Ichimaru was treating Hinamori like helpless kitten. He wanted to make a swift retort, but knew that he should keep his mouth shut. Not only would it encourage Gins insults, but also make himself look childish.

Suddenly, a group of Shinigami came running up to the two, asking what had happened.

"Take Aizen taichou down." Hitsugaya ordered.

As they agreed and ran past, Hitsugaya walked calmly past Ichimaru, that lightning-like tension re-appeared for a split second, then dissolved into nothing.

* * *

Hinamori knelt in the 5th division's Detention Cell.

Pictures of her precious captain kept flashing trough her mind. She remembered everything ever since she had joined the Gotei 13, and all the times they had been through together. And then, the freshest images of all came to her mind, his bloodstained body, pinned there to the building, with the cruel sword driven through him.

She remembered the strange sensation she had felt that told her to turn around, she had thought that she could almost hear the blood dripping. She was consumed in sadness and sorrows as she remembered everything that made her heart ache.

It was not fair.

She prayed that it was all a dream again, and she prayed with her entire being again, that she would wake up from some horrible nightmare to find him still there.

But again, nothing happened.

As she went through everything in her mind, she felt the pain slowly ebb away.

Her memories aroused and wreathed around her.

_**In this world you tried,**_

_**Leaving me alone behind,**_

_**There's no other way,**_

_**I pray to the gods let him stay,**_

_**The memories ease the pain inside**_

_**Now I know why**_

It was now the day after the dreadful death of her captain and she was left all alone in her prison cell.

She had refused all of the food offered to her, and she had spoken to no one; she kept to herself and pushed all others away.

Presently, she put her palm on her pounding forehead, her eyelids closed and trembling. "Taichou…" She whispered to herself.

Then, almost as soon as she had closed them, Hinamori re-opened her tired, chestnut eyes as she heard the footsteps of a visitor approaching. She was about to ask them to leave when she looked up and realized that it was Matsumoto. The orange-haired lieutenant had a sorrowful frown on her face, and pity for her friend in her blue eyes.

Hinamori felt a small shimmer of relief; Matsumoto seemed to be one of the only people she could call a friend at the time. She did not care about being roughly confined by her; that was her own fault. Right now, the girl was just thankful to see someone she needed to _when _she needed to.

"You look awful." Although it was not what Hinamori expected her to say, she knew that Matsumoto's words held truth. She just met her friend's eyes.

"Rangiku-san." She said softly, hurt and relief in her small voice.

"Have you settled down a bit?" The older lieutenant asked. Hinamori responded with a small nod.

"Ano… Sumimasen." She apologized almost inaudibly. "I have been a burden on you too." She turned away in shame.

"Huh? Oh. Don't apologize to _me_. I wasn't able to do _anything_." She confessed with a slight sigh.

"Ano…" Hinamori wanted to choose her words carefully. "Outside…what is happening?" Another sigh from her friend told her that she was not going to get the response that she had wanted.

"Its chaos." Replied the blue-eyed vice-captain. "Something like _this _occurring inside of a station is completely unheard of. And there's the matter of the ryoka…"

She trailed off, and Hinamori remembered everything that had happened with her old friend Rukia in the past few years, and how she had been sentenced to death. She had wanted to help the others who were planning to stop the execution more than anything else before. Ukitake had told her that he and may others planned to put an end to it and save the raven-haired girl, but now…Now she could do nothing for her friend, nor could she even have helped her own captain.

"Everyone's moving on their own and getting out of control." Matsumoto continued.

"My God…" Hinamori murmured. "Then what about arresting the killer?" She asked anxiously, sitting up straight.

"They still haven't finished inspecting the scene." Matsumoto told her gently. "We have no choice but to wait for the Captain General's decision."

"Demo…" Hinamori could hardly believe what she was hearing; it was so obvious… "Demo, the one who killed the taichou is-"

"Stop right there!" Matsumoto's voice changed to a harsh, sharp shout. Hinamori's eyes widened in shock and she withdrew immediately. "Don't just say what's in your heart! Just now, I told you everyone's in chaos…but 5th squad is the worst off." Her words were cruel, but Hinamori knew that they were true.

She still said nothing; but pulled away a little bit more. She felt tears hot behind her eyes and it took everything she had to keep them in.

Matsumoto went on; her voice had not softened at all. "They have lost both their taichou and fukuutaichou at the same time. You realize what'll happen, don't you?" She was glaring at Hinamori now, anger and disgust beginning to fill her eyes. "I'm not saying I don't understand how you feel. But you know…at that moment you drew your sword at Ichimaru taichou, and the actions you took the moment you found Aizen taichou…" Hinamori recalled everything as Matsumoto spoke it. "Don't you feel you should at least think about weather you _had_ to take those actions because there was no other way? The rank of fukuutaichou…isn't that trivial is it?"

Every word she spoke stabbed another thorn of guilt through Hinamori's heart. She just wanted to die right then and there and get away from it all, and hopefully see her captain again.

Little did she know that she would be leaving much more behind than what she would be finding if she were to die.

"Gomenasai." Was the only thing she could manage to say after a moment of holding back her tears. "I…I…" The way Matsumoto had just spoken to her and what she had said were almost unbearable now. She had never been so hurt by the fukuutaichou so much before, and she thought for sure now the orange-haired lieutenant hated her.

Matsumoto's eyes softened almost un-noticeably as she reached for something and handed Hinamori a letter.

"Here." She said flatly, handing it to her. Hinamori glanced up with teary eyes.

"It was in Aizen Taichou's room. It's addressed to you."

"Aizen taichou…" Hinamori breathed out the words. "…To me?" She whispered in disbelief. She cupped her hands around the letter as if it were the most precious treasure in the world. The other fukuutaichou turned away.

"You're lucky it was _my _taichou who found it." Matsumoto's tone was still a bit harsh, but she was beginning to go back to her usual self again.

But then, she whipped back around to face the smaller girl. "If it was anyone else, it would've been presented as evidence, and you might never have received it." She informed the brown haired girl sharply, meaning that she better have been grateful to her childhood friend.

"I don't know what's written in it," She went on. "But having one's taichou leave behind his last words to her…is a happy thing for a fukuutaichou. Read it gratefully." With those last, meaningful words, Matsumoto turned away from Hinamori slowly.

The last image of her friend that she had, had been her kneeling on the prison floor, with her sleepless gaze locked onto the letter, tied in a purple ribbon. Her chestnut eyes were full of misery, confusion, and pain, and now Matsumoto regretted being so harsh on her. She wished to send her taichou down there to comfort his friend, for she knew that he was the only one who would be able to comfort her now. As she began to walk away, she heard the soft, pitiful voice of Hinamori call out behind her:

"Ano…Arigatou gozaimashta!" Matsumoto just waved her hand and stepped outside, gazing up at the clear blue sky. She sighed, and walked away.

Back inside, shut off from civilization besides the ones that went inside to visit her, Hinamori gripped the letter tightly, pictures of her captain re-filling her mind once more. Aching stabbed at her heart like a fierce lion's claws as she held the ribbon.

Then her fingers moved and the letter was revealed.

**_All of my memories keep you near,_**

_**In silent moments, **_

_**Imagining you here,**_

_**All of my memories keep you near, **_

_**In silent whispers, silent tears**_

Hinamori's eyes widened as she read what the letter contained:

Hinamori-kun, if you're reading this letter, I must not have been able to return**.**

Here she paused. _The taichou… _knew _that he was being targeted…_She realized with a twinge of hurt. _Taichou…_

The letter continued to say: I've caused you a lot of worry. I don't think any words of apology I could string together would ever suffice. Until now, I have never spoken to you about the insecurities I have felt. But I want you to understand it was because I didn't want to get you involved. And if possible…I want you to forgive me…for finally involving you at this stage. I'm probably no longer living…so…for you, whom I trust most of all, I will record here the entirety of the truth I have uncovered…

_**Made me promise I'd try,**_

_**To find my way back in this life, **_

_**Hope there is a way,**_

_**To give me a sign you're okay,**_

_**Reminds me again it's worth it all,**_

_**So I can go home,**_

"This is…" When Hinamori had finished reading the letter, she could not believe anything that she had just read.

She did not want to believe one word of the letter now that she had read it.

The final words from her captain were the last ones that she wanted to read in his letter.

_I-It's…impossible…No…It can't be…_ Her thoughts were spinning and she felt sick. _It just can't be him…No…not…not…Hitsugaya-kun…_ She remembered all of the times they had been through together. Not to mention the fact that he had saved her from a cold lonely life alone in Rukongai when he had found her.

They grew up together, and shared secrets that no one else knew about the other. They were closer than brother and sister; she always thought that, even when they were little. They had lived such great lives together when they were little, up until the day they were attacked in the woods by the Hollow. Then, even when she had gone away to the Academy, he had said that he would join her eventually, and he did; he always kept his promises.

She had thought that Aizen and Hitsugaya would be good friends.

They had celebrated Hitsugaya's birthday together, and then Christmas shortly afterwards.

Just recalling the events made longing return to haunt the confused fukuutaichou of squad 5.

_**All of my memories keep you near,**_

_**In silent moments,**_

_**Imagining you here,**_

_**All of my memories keep you near**_

_**In silent whispers, silent tears**_

Hinamori remembered the small party they had thrown for Hitsugaya's birthday that year as if it had been yesterday.

_"Come _on _Hitsugaya-kun!" She called, pulling his arm. Matsumoto was on his other side, urging him on._

_"Come on taichou! It's your birthday! And Hinamori-chan told me that you two would always do this together when you were little!"_

_  
"Oh she did, did she?" He asked, glaring at his childhood friend. "What _else _did she tell you?" He growled. _

_"Oh nothing, nothing taichou." She lied. _

_As they sat on the rooftop, Aizen joined them, and gave Hinamori a pink blanket for her snow-covered shoulders, because she was the only one not wearing a scarf. _

_When they had been there for almost an hour, Matsumoto had wished her taichou happy birthday one last time and departed, and Aizen soon afterwards. _

_When Hitsugaya and Hinamori were alone, they had each seen a comet. _

_Hinamori claimed that the one she had seen had been a light, pink, peachy color, while Hitsugaya had seen a light blue one. _

_They saw them at the same time as well. "Quick! Make a wish Hitsugaya-kun!" Hinamori squealed. _

_She saw him smile quickly, and although she never found out his wish, she had wished that she could become a comet, and soar across the sky…_

_**Together in all these memories, **_

_**I see your smile,**_

_**All of the memories I hold dear, **_

_**Darling you know I'll love you**_

_**Till the end of time**_

Hinamori shivered, not being able to comprehend that Hitsugaya was the one that murdered her captain.

She knew that they had also been somewhat of friends. That night, the night of Hitsugaya's birthday, before Aizen left, he had shared a bit of knowledge with them all:

_When the night was still washed in twilight, there was a fireworks show. Dazzling sparks of purple, red, green and many other colors dappled the sky, and as the four watched in silence, the icy, Winter wind blew. _

_After Aizen had congratulated Hitsugaya for his birthday, the boy had responded. "To the people who grew up in Rukongai, birthdays don't really exist. If you're born into royalty over here then it might be different…" After he had trailed off, Aizen had given them all something to remember. _

"_We're all the same, no one actually remembers their exact date of birth. You just have to believe the date that someone you trust tells you. It doesn't really matter if it's real, the fact that you know your birthday is already a sign of happiness." Hinamori had though deeply about the meaning of his words, and then, Hitsugaya came back with a prophecy of his own._

"_We are all like fireworks. We climb, shine, and always go our separate ways and become further apart. Then, even if that time comes, lets not disappear…like the fireworks…and continue to shine…forever…" _

_Once they had all finished speaking, Hitsugaya thanked them all, and then they had been silent except for the periodical blast of the fireworks, until Hinamori and Hitsugaya had spotted the comets. _

_**All of my memories keep you near,**_

_**In silent moments,**_

_**Imagining you here,**_

_**All of my memories keep you near,**_

_**In silent whispers, silent tears**_

Hinamori felt the fervent tears stream down her face as she thought that the two whom she had loved and admired the most in this world would have hated each other even the _slightest_ bit.

And she could _never_ come to think that their hatred was so great that it would go to the extreme of _murder_.

Salted water almost drown out all of her other senses as she sat alone in her cold, quiet cell that night. When she tried to lean back against the wall to let sleep come, she only found herself waking up from dreadful nightmares, clutching her taichou's letter, the last thing that he had left behind in this place, the only solid thing that she could remember him by now that he was gone.

_But why would Hitsugaya-kun kill him? Why would he do something like this to me? To take away the one that I…_

She finally drifted off to an uneasy sleep in mid thought, the last thing in her mind still echoed through her head as she fell asleep:

_Why?…Hitsugaya…kun…_

**_All of my memories…_**

* * *

**A/N: This was a pretty important chapter for later on...you will see!**

**Please, please, please review! And make me happy and help me forget my failing grade on my math quiz!**


	15. Taking Over Me

**Gomenasai!! My updating stinks! But I am getting there, only 20 more chapters! Its not a good as 19 but its better than 21! XP This chapter is for Fourpeg, just cause she's so awsome! **

**Diclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Songfic song by Evanescence.**

* * *

Chapter 15. Taking Over Me

Hitsugaya sighed as he wearily made his way back to the 10th division's building.

He had been forced to work ridiculously late that night to help out with the murder investigation. They had found nothing worthy of being called evidence, except for what he had found.

He had been in Aizen's quarters after he had ordered Hinamori and Kira's arrest. He had wanted to visit the 5th division's prison hold, but he was the one who said he was going to inform Yamamoto of the incident. So after he had given his report, he was sent to do some examinations to see if he could find any evidence of how Aizen had been killed. Matsumoto had been with him when he spied the letter in the former captains quarters.

He almost turned it in, but once he noticed that it was made out to Hinamori, he could not just give it to someone who would examine it and never give it to it's rightful owner. And so he had wanted to go and deliver it to her himself, but he was under strict orders to stay at his post. Besides, now that he thought about it, maybe it was better for both of them to not see each other at the moment. So he sent Matsumoto, and that was that.

Now, he was passing near the 5th division's building, and although he did not have to and did not intend to, he kept going instead of taking a faster route back to his building. He was about to knock and enter the other building when he hesitated, still thinking that he should not be seeing her again so soon.

So he stopped, turned and left, with an ache in his chest.

* * *

Dusky moonlight filtered through a single window in the prison cell, and it had been the only light that the girl could read the letter by.

Although she had fallen asleep, the haunting events of the past few days had reawakened her only about a half an hour after she had found sleep. She slowly opened her dreary, chestnut eyes and as she shifted against the cold wall to lean against, her hand crumpled the precious piece of paper.

She suddenly remembered everything that had happened, straightened the letter out and reread it again and again. She wanted to make sure that she was not dreaming, although she had proved to herself many times that night that she was not.

She just could not bring herself to believe one single word of it all.

As she slumped back against the wall, she tried to seek sleep again; she thought that nighttime was the only time where she would not be reminded of everything that had happened, but she was wrong, so terribly wrong.

The only thing Hinamori found when she closed her eyes was a blood-covered boy and the body of a man. As Hinamori stood there and watched the scene, the boy raised his head and aqua eyes flared the emotions of hatred, ruthlessness, and a love for killing. For one, horrifying moment, the two friends locked gazes, and Hinamori was frozen. And as the murderer of her beloved captain came closer to her, she could only scream a silent scream that no one heard.

But just as she thought she was about to be killed, she did not wake up. Instead of feeling death through her dreams, she felt a soft, gentle hand touch her face and reopened her eyes to see her one and only childhood friend, looking at her with concern in his eyes.

"Hinamori." His voice was just as it always was when he spoke to her, caring and protective. She knew that she was still dreaming, but for once that night, this was a dream that she did not want to wake up from.

So she thought.

As Hitsugaya curled a loose strand of hair from her face, his fingers slowly made their way to her face. Then, they slid slowly over her cheeks and stopped when they had reached her neck. Here, they danced over her smooth skin and a sense of awkwardness overcame her.

She swallowed hard, and when he seemed to notice the fact that she was afraid, the caring in his eyes morphed to viciousness. Without warning, he threw both hands around her throat and thrust her against a dark wall. Hinamori could only feebly call out his name as he crushed the breath from her body.

Sounds of hard breathing filled her cell the second Hinamori awoke. She was covered in a cold sweat, and she was panting as if she had been asleep underwater. Her heart pounded wildly against he ribs as the traces of the nightmare began to fade away. Then, she pulled her knees close to her chest and held her hand to her aching head.

_Aizen taichou…Hitsugaya-kun…help me…someone…anyone…save me…_

And little did she know that as she sat there that night, crying herself to sleep, a boy had woken up from a nightmare as well.

He dreamt that he had killed his friend.

_**You don't remember me but I remember you,**_

_**I lie awake and try so hard not to think of you,**_

_**But who can decide what they dream?**_

_**And dream I do,**_

It was the next day, when the morning light was just beginning to come through the caged window, that Hinamori decided that sitting there and reminiscing was not going to do anything.

Obviously, since there had still been no news at all on her captain's killer, the other Shinigami were having no luck.

_They clearly have too many _other, _more important things to do than find a murderer._

She told herself that she was going to escape this prison and help deliver righteousness to the world where there was supposed to be no injustice. And somehow, if there was any way possible, she wanted to apologize to her friends. _I want to tell Rangiku-san that I'm sorry. I got her involved and made her upset. I also want to apologize to Izuru, for fighting him and…falsely accusing his taichou. _

Here she stopped herself. As much as she despised admitting it to herself, Ichimaru was not the person who had killed Aizen; it was the one person she would have never thought to betray her…

She lifted her head up and looked around, and as usual for the past few days, there was no one on guard of her cell, probably no one in the whole entire building.

_**I believe in you**_

_**I'll give up everything just to find you**_

_**I have to be with you**_

_**To live, to breathe,**_

_**You're taking over me**_

Just to be sure that her theory was correct; Hinamori waited a few moments in utter silence.

She heard no sounds, no voices, no footsteps, just the howling wind outside. Then she softly but clearly called out. "Hello? Is there anyone there?" But to her relief no one answered and she was left alone to listen to the eerie sounds of her own voice echoing.

She then allowed her eyes to flash to the letter in her hands, being tightly, unconsciously squeezed. She read over it one more time, memorizing it, pounding the truth into her being and telling herself that this was real, and that it was no time to be afraid.

Yet somehow, a shiver ran up her spine and she shuddered. "I can do this." She told herself quietly, standing up.

Surely if anyone else was around now, they would have come there in hearing her speaking, but nobody came. As Hinamori tried to focus herself on her demon magic to break the cell walls, she found herself crying, and the small amount of power that she had focused now disintegrated due to her lack of concentration.

She fell back onto her knees again and wept, trying desperately to stop the tears so she could escape and avenge the one she was crying for now. "I can't…do this…" She cried. "I can't kill Hitsugaya-kun…Gomenasai…Aizen taichou…" Her salted tears stained the letter and she found herself unable to move.

And then she felt something on the back of her hand. It was so light, almost like when a cat walks inches away, but the ends of its fur barely brush the skin. Hinamori opened her eyes at the touch, but was not frightened at all until she heard the voice the touch belonged to.

"Hinamori-kun." He spoke softly. She nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Ai…Aizen…Taichou?" She glanced around slowly, wanting to make sure that she was not dreaming. She saw no one, but still felt the slightest touch on her hand.

"Hinamori-kun." The voice repeated. "I know that you don't want to do this, and I know that I was wrong in asking you to do that, you don't _have _to." He told her. His voice had nothing in it to prove that he meant what he said. It was as if he wanted and expected her to disagree with him, which, due to her undying loyalty, she did.

"No! I mean…I don't want to hurt anyone…demo…I have to do it because you asked me to. Those were your orders." She whispered, afraid that if she spoke to loud the calming presence might disappear and leave her alone once again.

"Your wrong. Those weren't my orders, it was my will. The one thing I asked you to do for me." His voice now sounded almost menacing, demanding that she obey. Although the tears of confusion and hurt filled her eyes, she nodded.

"I will avenge you, Aizen Taichou…" She obliged. Then, she thought that she heard a curt laugh.

"That's my girl." Then, just as soon as it had all happened, it was over. The presence that floated about the cell was gone, and Hinamori began to wonder if it had been real. But something deep down told her that it had been.

"I will avenge you taichou." She vowed silently. "Even if it is the last thing that I do."

_**Have you forgotten all I know, and all we had?**_

_**You saw me mourning my love for you, and touched my hand,**_

_**I knew you loved me then**_

_**I believe in you**_

_**I'll give up everything just to find you**_

_**I have to be with you**_

_**To live, to breathe**_

_**You're taking over me,**_

The second Hinamori was sure that the ghostly occurrence was over and that no one else had entered the building at the time, she set to work.

She let the letter fall to the ground and placed one palm over the back of her other hand. She tried to calm herself and she closed her eyes. She then mumbled an incantation under her breath and a milky, purple light emitted from her outstretched palms. In a matter of mere seconds, the prison cells had dissolved into microscopic particles.

She swiftly picked up the letter and dashed through the now-empty space in front of her. However, once she had reached the doors, she slowed her pace and stopped. There, she concentrated intently, and slowly lowered her reiatsu, until it was completely hidden. Now no one would be able to find where she was.

Even though there were Shinigami like the captains that had special abilities, no one, not even any of the Elite Forces could detect her now. Demon Magic was her specialty, and no one else in any world at any time had or ever could master the arts as she had.

_It's the only thing I'm good at._ She thought. _I've been training myself and practicing ever since I joined the Academy. I just have to hope that all my work can pay off now when I need it the most._

She inhaled deeply and slipped through the doors. She knew what she was going to do. She knew where she was going to go.

And as she ran, Aizen's face flashed through her mind and she recalled what her true duty was. It was to avenge a man that she trusted for a few years by killing her best friend who she had grown up with. It sounded absurd to her, but her taichou's wish was her command; especially his last wish.

And even though she did not know it as she ran through the black streets of Seireitei, she was becoming more and more like her departed captain. Just the slyness with which she ran, the soundlessness of her feet as she glided along the cold ground, the deceiving trickery of escaping her cell. All of these things made her more and more like him.

But she did not know that, for she did not know that he was sneakily deceiving and tricking all of them through a foul game of smoke and mirrors.

_**I look in the mirror and see your face**_

_**If I look deep enough**_

_**So many things inside that are**_

_**Just like you are taking over**_

_**I believe in you**_

_**I'll give up everything just to find you**_

_**I have to be with you**_

_**To live, to breathe**_

_**You're taking over me**_

As she ran, Hinamori tried to plan out everything she was about to do.

She only halted once to use her magic to knock out a guard and then she quickly resumed her long run to the 10th division's building.

She knew.

She knew that Ichimaru would be there, waiting for her arrival, and then the murderer of her captain would also come.

There had been another part to the letter, which she had missed this first time, for she had read over it, too eager to find out the truth. But Aizen had had it all planned out if he should fail himself. He had arranged that she meet up with Ichimaru as soon as possible after she had read it. She did not know how the 3rd division captain would know when she was coming, but she put faith in her taichou and his former lieutenant.

Focused on her roll in the capture of the murderer who was her very best friend, Hinamori just realized that she had never been deprived of her Zanpakutou. And all the while, when she had sat in her cell, she had completely forgotten about the sheathed blade. Now, it was her only hope to avenge Aizen. She clutched the letter close to her and made two more silent vows.

"I will avenge you, Aizen taichou. I swear that I will take down Hitsugaya-kun, even if I go down along with him. But it does not matter. For I also vow, that once Hitsugaya-kun is dead, I will shortly follow." Her firm whisper was definite and unwavering.

And as she ran to meet up with the 3rd squad captain and take the life of the one most precious to her and then her own, and large, black cloud floated across the starless sky.

It covered the moon, allowing no light to shine below and a shiver went down the girl's spine at the eerie omen as she ran on.

_**I believe in you**_

_**(I believe in you)**_

_**I'll give up everything just to find you**_

_**I have to be with you**_

_**To live, to breathe,**_

_**You're taking over me **_

_**(Taking over me)**_

_**You're taking over me **_

_**(Taking over me)**_

**_Taking over me. _**

_

* * *

_

**A/N: Alright next chapter is the fight! I did not like writing about them fighting though T-T They are such good frineds, its just wrong! Hope you enjoyed it!**

**Please do not hate me and please review!!**


	16. Going Under

**Again sorry for the wait! I snuck this in during some free time instead of studying cause I love you guys :3 But if I fail Spanish I am blaming you all. XD Jk, jk.**

**Disclaimer: Uggg! Again? Fine. I don't own Bleach!**

* * *

Chapter 16. Going Under

The long shadows just kept growing and growing as Hitsugaya raced through the streets of Seireitei, back the way he had just come only about an hour before.

He had just gotten back from the murder investigation and had retreated to his office with Matsumoto. He settled down and worked on some paperwork, for he had agreed to take over the 5th Squad's business.

Once he had discussed a few things with his lieutenant, a knock had come at the door of the office. One of the officers of the 10th squad had informed him that Hinamori, Kira and Abarai were missing from their cells. He and Matsumoto had followed him to Hinamori's prison cell; the one particular cell that Hitsugaya was not hoping he would have to go to. He had led his captain and lieutenant the white haired boy's childhood friend's cell, and fear rose in Hitsugaya's stomach.

In the cell where Hinamori should have been kneeling, there was nothing; it was completely empty. There, a guard apologized for being responsible for her absence. A large, gaping hole had stared at Hitsugaya, the full white moon fitting perfectly into the shape.

He could tell right away that Hinamori had escaped, and no one had broken in, which relieved him the slightest bit in knowing that no one was after her. The rock walls at the edges of the circle were facing outward, as if someone had pushed through them with great force.

And that theory was what led him to believe that she had used her Hakufuku, Kidou Demon Magic, for she was a master at it, and no one else in the whole of Soul Society could manage to take down such strong, indestructible stone. He had sent Matsumoto home and took off.

Now, as he raced through the empty streets, the fear that had overcome him before doubled, not knowing what his friend intended to do now that she was free.

_Hinamori, don't rush into this._ He thought.

He quickened his pace, and strode to the only place he could think of that she would go.

* * *

Hinamori clutched the letter closer to her neck as if it were the most precious thing in the world to her, which now since her captain was gone and her friend was a traitor, it might as well be.

For the first time, she began to realize the true detestation she had for her so-called 'friend'. She simply could not bring herself to believe that he, of all people would do this to her.

Not only had he hurt her in one of the worst ways possible, but he had _lied_, and _murdered_ innocent people. _He just doesn't_ _care, does he? _Tears of utter pain and betrayal formed behind her eyes and steadily began to creep past her lashes.

She would make him pay; that was for certain.

_**Now I will tell you what I've done for you,**_

_**50 thousand tears I've cried,**_

_**Screaming, deceiving and bleeding for you,**_

_**And you, still won't hear me,**_

_**Going under**_

Hinamori recalled the words Aizen had written for her.

_When I first read the taichou's letter, I distrusted my eyes. I couldn't believe it. Demo…its true, isn't it? I will believe the taichou. Aizen taichou, the one who murdered you, was…Hitsugaya-kun. _She thought to herself, gritting her teeth, a single tear sliding down her face.

Suddenly, she heard rustling and footsteps behind her. Concealing her reiatsu even more, she leapt swiftly into the branches of a nearby tree. Once the patrol had passed by her, Hinamori took the opportunity to rest for a moment and rethink her captain's last words.

_Why Kuchiki Rukia has to be executed, why that date is continually being moved up…while I was investigating those issues, I arrived at one truth. I want _you, at least _to know…in my place…_

She knew that it was because the murderer was trying to get his hands on an object she had never known of called the Hyogyoku. _Oh Rukia-san, Gomenasai. I was going to revolt against the execution along with Ukitake taichou, Kyoraku taichou and, Hitsugaya-k…and the others. But, I can't now, there's something that I must do. I pray that you will forgive me, and I pray that your friends, the ryoka will be able to save you. _With the final words of apology for her old friend, she leapt from the tree and proceeded to her destination.

_I know that Hitsugaya-kun will have figured out that I'm gone by now, and he'll probably come looking for me. I bet he'll offer to help me, and that it wasn't him who killed Aizen taichou. But…as much as I don't want to believe it, he _is _the one who killed him, and I don't need anyone, especially _him_, anymore. _

Up ahead, she was almost there, and she could already catch the faint presence of Ichimaru.

However, it seemed that Izuru and…someone else were there.

She hurried on.

_**Don't want your hand this time I'll save myself,**_

_**Maybe I'll wake up for once (wake up for once)**_

_**Not tormented daily defeated by you**_

_**Just when I thought I'd reached the bottom**_

_**I'm dying again,**_

Hitsugaya was there now, in the place he expected Hinamori to be, the place where she had found Aizen dead only yesterday.

He was standing in the center of all the buildings, right out in the open.

Now he found himself, not only waiting to confront Hinamori, but also the 3rd division's captain. He had faintly sensed his spiritual pressure, as well as Izuru's and he had know from the instant he saw Kira's cell that someone had broken _in _to get him _out_.

And it just so happens that they were coming his way. He folded his hands into his sleeves as he heard the approaching footsteps. Hitsugaya fell silent, listening. He quickly realized that there were two sets of footfalls, and even if there had been only one, they came down far to heavily and noisily to be Hinamori's. Finally, the captain and vice-captain of the 3rd squad emerged from the shadows before the 10th division captain.

_Good. _Hitsugaya thought. _At least I can deal with these two before Hinamori shows up. _He thought.

"I knew I'd find the two of you together." Hitsugaya's tone was almost mocking, contemptuous. Ichimaru seemed just as relaxed and happy as ever. However, Kira obviously did not expect to see him.

"H-Hitsugaya taichou…" He said in shock, worry and guilt creeping across his face. But Kira was the least of his problems right now, and Hitsugaya spoke to Ichimaru next.

"It's just like I'd thought." Hitsugaya continued. "Only Kira's cell had been unlocked from the outside. If you wanted to let him go secretly, don't you think that was a bit careless, Ichimaru?!" He accused. It was easy to see the sheer shock on Izuru's face now, his eyebrows furrowed and his azure eyes wide, although, his captain was still static.

"Well, well, aren't you puttin' a strange spin on things?" It was hardly a question, more like a matter-of-fact statement. "I did it that way _on purpose _so you'd know." His voice went from calm and cool, to menacing and acidic. Hitsugaya dismissed the threat with a fact of his own.

"I'm glad I got here before Hinamori." His aqua eyes narrowed into slits like a cat's, ablaze with hatred. " Before she gets here, I'm going to kill you." He stated, reaching behind him and gripping the hilt of his sword, ready to draw it and do battle, even if he was outnumbered…

But it was too late.

At that instant, Hinamori's shadowed figure appeared before him, separating him from Ichimaru and Kira. She landed lightly and nimbly before him, also like a cat. Although he knew that she would arrive eventually, Hitsugaya did not think that she would get there so soon. He had wanted to take care of the _other_ two before she showed up…

Still, he was shocked because he had not been expecting her to get here so quickly. He loosened his grip on his sword, and then let go all together. "Hinamori?!" He spoke aloud. _Dammit! It's too soon…she's so reckless; she'll get herself hurt. Or worse…_

"Finally…I found you." Her voice was barely audible, hardly a whisper. The long shadows reached her and clouded her face, making her ominously unrecognizable.

This was not the Hinamori he had grown up with, who had that cheerful, bright smile that seemed like a comet. Every feature of her body as she stood up now, every lithe, eerie, ghost-like movement betrayed the fact that she was the same girl he grew up with.

"So this is where you've been." Her voice was dead. It was flat and cold, and full of pain and silent agony. Hitsugaya winced.

"Stop, Hinamori!" He told her as he realized what she was about to do. "You're no match for him!" He tried to reason with her as she gripped the sheath of her sword. He kept trying. "Leave it to me and stand back!" There was almost a beg in his voice now. But she drew her sword nonetheless, and he prepared himself to spring forward. Then, his eyes widened as Hinamori turned, swinging her sword through the air and stopping it at his throat.

"Aizen taichou's…murderer!"

_**I'm going under (going under)**_

_**Drowning in you (drowning in you)**_

_**I'm falling forever (falling forever)**_

_**I've got to break through **_

_**I'm going under **_

Hitsugaya's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared into her distraught, tortured eyes, seeing the grim seriousness behind the chestnut pools of hate.

"Why him?" She asked, tears taking their places at the edge of her eyelids, waiting their turns to fall. Her voice was so stained with hurt, so tainted by betrayal that Hitsugaya could hardly recognize her. He wanted to look away and avoid those indescribably tortured eyes, but he could not.

And now he was even more shocked and more confused then before. _Does…does she think that…that…_I _killed Aizen?_ He asked himself in his mind. There was no other explanation.

"I know everything now…" The teary-eyed girl went on. "From this letter the taichou left me." She raised a hand to a piece of paper, folded into her shihakushou. She then recited bits and pieces of the letter her captain had left her. She retold what was written on the paper, as if she had memorized it all precisely as to not miss one little detail, no matter how insignificantly small.

She went on to explain about the Soukyoku, and how Aizen had written about its powers and what the execution was truly about. She recited the name of the person who had supposedly planned this all out in order to obtain power. "Hitsugaya…Toshiro…" Hinamori spoke his name, as firmly as anyone in her position possibly could.

He gawked at her in total disbelief, unable to speak. He wanted to knock some sense into her, to tell her that it was all a lie, and that he would _never ever_ do _anything_ so treacherous and horrible to _anyone_, let alone _her_.

But she went on. "The letter continues to say this. 'Tonight'," She quoted. " 'I have called him out to the eastern Great Sacred Wall. I must stop his plot, no matter what the cost. If he will not stand down, I am prepared to cross blades. However, if I should die, Hinamori-kun, could you find it in your heart to carry out my last will and defeat him? That is my final wish.'"

Hitsugaya's eyes were frozen on her; he was trembling with shock and frustration. _What can I do? How can I make her listen?_ Hinamori ignored the tears on her lashes and went on quoting her long lost captain.

" 'Not as taichou of the 5th Squad, but as an ordinary man, I beg of you_'."_

_**Blurring and stirring the truth and the lies**_

_**(So I don't know what's real)**_

_**(So I don't know what's real and what's not)**_

_**Always confusing the thoughts in my head**_

_**So I can't trust myself anymore**_

_**I'm dying again**_

Her entire body was quivering now, especially her right arm and hand, the hand that held her sword to her best friend's throat.

"Hina…mori…" Was all that he could whisper. He could feel the metal of her blade against his skin, shaking furiously as she shivered with dread.

Then without warning, Hinamori raised her Zanpakutou above her head. She scream, a shriek of pain, confusion, hatred, guilt, loss, and so, so much more. Tears streaming down her face, the brunette brought her sword down, and Hitsugaya's aqua eyes widened and he dodged at the last second.

When her blade connected with the ground, an enormous explosion shook the ground and consumed the area in a thick cloud of dust, as a blindingly bright light flashed through the air. It was like a volcano eruption and an earthquake happening at the same time.

The spectators from the 3rd division seemed undisturbed.

Well, one of them did.

Hitsugaya found it impossible that such a small, fragile, and hurt girl who had not eaten in days and was being lied to and betrayed could possibly put so much force into the swing of her sword. The white-haired boy gritted his teeth and growled in frustration as he returned to the ground from his jump to get out of the attack-range of her sword.

If she made another swing like that, not only would everyone in Soul Society be rushing out, but she was using so much energy. He could see that the effort it took out of her was having an effect on her, and she looked like she could barely stand.

He tried to talk her out of it. "BAKA!" He barked at her. "Think carefully! If he dies, he wants _you _to fight in his place?! Do you really think Aizen would say that?! The Aizen I knew…was neither an idiot who'd go alone to a fight he had no chance to win, nor a coward who'd make his subordinates clean up his mess!" Hitsugaya was shouting now.

He could see her, kneeling in a cloud of dust, too weak to stand, panting and sobbing. But the resolve in her eyes told him she was not giving up. Not yet.

"But…" She shook her head, trying to dislodge the fact that her friend had killed her taichou, tears flying from her face. She never wanted to believe it was him, not Hitsugaya, not her Shiro-chan… "But that's what the letter said!" She wailed. "That was Aizen taichou's handwriting! I didn't want to believe it either!" She voiced her thoughts.

Hitsugaya ground his teeth helplessly as he watched her fall to pieces. She was so confused…so betrayed…those were the only words that seemed to describe her tonight. "But that's what Aizen taichou said!" She cried, launching herself forward towards him.

She slashed her sword, weaklier, less effectively now, and he speechlessly dodged every blow.

And every blow she swung took more and more strength from her, and more tears from her eyes.

_**I'm going under (going under)**_

_**Drowning in you (drowning in you)**_

_**I'm falling forever (falling forever)**_

_**I've got to break through **_

_**I'm…**_

Finally, Hinamori swung the blow that had pushed her far beyond her limits.

She trembled and he stared at her in horror. Not at the fact that she was trying to kill him, but at the fact that she looked as though she were just going to stop breathing any second now.

"I…I…I…don't…know what…to do anymore…" She stammered, gasping for air and trying to speak at the same time as she sobbed. "Shiro-chan…" She pleaded, tears streaming down her face. He just stared at her in mute horror and helplessness.

"Hinamori…" He managed to whisper in shock. He just did not know what to do…

He thought frantically of what he should do, but her agonized scream cut off his thoughts immediately. His reaction was a last minute leap into the air as she somehow managed to swing her sword at him once more.

Hitsugaya gritted his teeth and growled. _This is no good._ He thought to himself while still in midair; contemplating. _She's so confused she can't judge right from wrong. But…there's no way Aizen would write a letter like that. Someone forged Aizen's letter! To make Hinamori and I eliminate each other. _It would make this person's plan – whomever it was – a lot easier if two of the troublesome pawns took each other out.

Then, Hitsugaya's eyes glanced downward and came to rest on Ichimaru. Realization struck him like a punch to the stomach. His eyes widened in understanding and shock as he saw that wicked smile stretched across his utterly annoying face. He showed his teeth, curling them against his lips deviously, like a fox.

"So that's it…" The white-haired boy murmured his words to himself, still suspended in the air. "This too… This was all your doing too…ICHIMARU?!" His furious muttering exploded in a roar of accusation and rage.

As his weight began to give into gravity and he came back down to the world below, the aqua-eyed boy gripped the hilt of his Zanpakutou.

But the second he was about to draw the blade, Hinamori with her sword ready, had leapt into the air in front on him; defending Ichimaru.

He wanted to shout at her, to tell her that she was being deceived, to let her know that he would _never_ do anything like what she thought he had done.

But there was no time…

_**So go on and scream, **_

_**Scream at me, I'm so far away (so far away)**_

_**I won't be broken again,**_

_**I've got to breathe I can't keep going under**_

_**I'm dying again,**_

Hitsugaya stared into her eyes for one, heartbreakingly drawn out second before he did the only thing he could do in the situation, the only possible reaction and reflex.

He braced and tightened his left hand, pulling it over to the right side of his body, gaining force and speed as he brought it back over.

Then, but with much more force then intended, he struck Hinamori.

He could feel his knuckles drive themselves into her left cheekbone for a split second, and then her weight was gone.

He had miscalculated the sheer power of his blow, and overestimated her.

He was of high-ranking, captain level, with much more strength than the fragile, exhausted, and torn girl.

His hit flung her to the ground, and she let out a short shriek of pain that was abruptly cut off as her body collided with the floor, about 20ft below. She landed with a sickening sound and did not regain her feet.

As Hitsugaya landed, he whirled around to look at her, to see if she was getting up, if she was all right.

She was not.

"Hinamori?!" He shouted. His tortured aqua gaze flew towards her motionless form. He could faintly smell the rusty scent of her blood; he tasted it in the air. His irises trembled in fear as he saw that she made no attempt to get up.

She did not want to get up, ever again, she just wanted to die right then and there and have it all be over with. She did not want to live any more; she did not deserve to. She gave up trying to breathe and just lay there and waited. _What good am I? _She thought weakly. _I couldn't even prevent Aizen taichou's death and now I'm fighting Hitsugaya-kun because of it. It's all my fault. I'm a horrible creature…_

Slowly, she slipped into black nothingness, not knowing if it was unconsciousness.

And not caring if it was death.

_**I'm going under (going under)**_

_**Drowning in you (drowning in you)**_

_**I'm falling forever (falling forever)**_

_**I've got to break through **_

_**I'm going under (going under)**_

_**I'm going under (drowning in you)**_

_**I'm going under. **_

* * *

**A/N: I hated writing this chapter! I hated making them fight! (cires) I am so sorry! **

**Stay with me for chapter 17!**

**Please review!!**


	17. False Pretense

**Yes! Finally its back! I found time to squeeze in writing chapter 31 so here's your chapter! I guess its not on hold anymore but it will still probably take just as long to update. Does it help with the suspense at least? Again I apologize!! Please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Bleach. Songfic song by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.**

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Chapter 17. False Pretense

Hitsugaya stared at his friend in shock, which quickly faded to anger for the man standing behind him.

"Aizen wasn't enough for you?" He growled menacingly. "You have to make Hinamori suffer like this to…Driving her crazy until she clutches her sword so tightly that blood oozes out…" He could see the red stained into her palms.

"Well now," Ichimaru's words glided coolly out of his mouth. "What ever are you talkin' 'bout?" The 10th division captain could hear the smirk in his voice.

"I thought I told you…" A faint, white-blue light surrounded the white haired boy and shown brightly; dangerously. "…If you made Hinamori spill blood, " The light grew brighter and more blinding now. "I'd kill you!" He snarled, turning around to face the silver haired man.

For an instant, Hitsugaya remembered what had happened only moments before, Hinamori's sword pointed at him…and then he gripped his Zanpakutou's hilt.

**_It's time to let it go _**

**_The world's got a funny way of turning 'round on you_**

**_When a friend tried to stab you right in the face_**

**_Losing faith in everything I thought I hoped I knew_**

_**Don't sweat it, set on false pretense**_

"That ain't good." Gin smirked as Hitsugaya readied to draw his sword.

Ichimaru gripped the hilt of his own sword. "If you pull yo' sword on me in a place like this, I'll just have to stop ya, won't I?" A second later, both captains were surrounded in glowing auras, signaling that they were going to be using massive amounts of reiatsu. Hitsugaya wanted so badly to let Ichimaru face his BanKai, but he wanted to save up as much energy as possible for when that time came.

"I-Ichimaru Taichou…" Izuru stood only feet behind his captain, shock and confusion easy to distinguish on his face as he watched the higher-ups, ready to fight to the death.

"Stay back, Izuru." Ichimaru's voice slithered on the air like a snake. "Ya don' wanna die, yet, do ya?" The way he spoke made it sound as though he really did not care about his lieutenant.

"Don't be stupid." Hitsugaya muttered. "Just staying back isn't good enough. Freaking disappear Kira! Even after you can't see us, keep on going." He instructed darkly, grasping the hilt with both hands. "If you're within twelve kilometers in any direction, I'm not certain I won't kill you unintentionally!"

With those final words of warning, Hitsugaya disappeared in shunpou, and reappeared seconds later in midair in front of Ichimaru. He swung his sword quickly, but Gin dodged at the last second, leaving Hitsugaya to strike the ground and be engulfed in dust. But that did not stop him. He charged after the other captain as if he were his greatest enemy, which he just might be.

_I'll never forgive this miserable, lying, bastard for what he did! _

_**Betray, you're not gonna be willing to change **_

_**Yeah, and it doesn't seem likely to fade**_

_**Betray, you're not gonna be willing to change**_

_**Ca-ca-ca-cause you know**_

Ichimaru glided past Kira, inches away from him as Hitsugaya rushed in. He swung and could possibly have hit Ichimaru, but he stopped his swing short as to not strike Izuru. _Damn him! _He cursed the other captain, lunging in again.

Hitsugaya swung again and again, but Gin just kept dodging. The smirk on his face told the younger boy that this was all child's play to him. He kept striking, and Kira stood frozen to the spot, undecided if he should aid his captain, who was hurting his friends, or not.

Gin leapt into the air with Toshiro only seconds behind. Hyorinmaru sliced through the air, but Shinsou deflected the blade halfway to its target. Hitsugaya struck repeatedly, and they collided with one another. The wielders of the swords parried one another as sparks from the metals flew out in all directions. Once the blades met again, Ichimaru shifted his weight, twisted his sword around, and forced Hitsugaya away, sending him jumping backwards about 10 feet.

In the instant his opponent was caught off guard, Ichimaru lunged forward and stabbed his Zanpakutou into the ground at his feet, unbalancing him. Then he pulled it up, sending debris from the ground flying at Hitsugaya's face, which he had no choice but to block. He gritted his teeth and growled as Ichimaru's grin widened.

"I see an opening!" He noted, thrusting his blade forward. But Hitsugaya leapt up and positioned himself so that he landed on top of his adversary's sword, pushing Shinsou into the ground with his foot as he swung and missed Ichimaru's face by mere centimeters, slicing off a few small chunks of silver hair. _He betrayed us! He betrayed _all _of us! _Hitsugaya thought furiously as he swung again. Ichimaru flipped and did a one-handed handstand, pushing himself back onto his feet, unscathed, several meters away.

Hitsugaya's eyes flickered back to Hinamori's limp, bleeding form. _I'll kill him, Hinamori! I swear!_ He vowed silently. _You're sacrifice won't go un-rewarded, I promise._

_**It's sacrifice **_

_**False pretense, you'll learn again **_

_**Stop pretending, don't deny**_

_**False pretense, you'll learn again**_

Hitsugaya took his stance, ready for whatever Ichimaru's next move was.

The 3rd squad captain stood up. "That's 10th squad's Hitsugaya Toshiro Taichou fer ya. Truly the incarnation of a heavenly guardian said to come along once every several centuries. Too close, too close." He laughed slightly.

Hitsugaya raised his sword, and the white-blue light burst into the air around him again. White, visible waves of spiritual energy wafted from him as he re-positioned his sword at Gin. "So you're serious." The older man observed. Wind was blasting off from Hitsugaya like a tornado.

Izuru, who was standing about 10 meters behind his captain, stared with awe and shock.

"Incredible…" He praised the immense power. "Such reiatsu…At this rate…" He trailed off as the light blinded him temporarily, and Hitsugaya shouted,

"Let's go!" Suddenly, he raced forward through the light and charged Ichimaru who laughed once. They sped closer and closer to each other, each one's Zanpakutou stretched out before them. They clashed with one another, and slashed their swords, but it all happened so fast, and they passed one another, neither one going down.

Only a small part of Gin's sleeve had been severed and as he stopped to inspect it, Hitsugaya flew at him. Ichimaru blocked at the last second, their blades colliding yet again as he pushed the younger captain away. Hitsugaya struck unsuccessfully two more times, before Ichimaru had a second to spare. He tore off the ripped material of his sleeve and threw it at his opponent's eyes. As Hitsugaya growled and slashed it away, Ichimaru took advantage of the distraction and came at him with multiple strikes of his sword. _You can't win. _Ichimaru thought. _Both of you are gonna end up dyin' here ta night. You n' the girl. Ya can't beat me 'lil boy._

As Hitsugaya was forced backwards, away from his sword, Gin's smile widened.

_**All along you know you thought you got the best of me **_

_**You were wrong and I'm laughing right in your face**_

Hitsugaya blocked as many of the thrusts he could, not having enough concentration to focus on jumping away.

"How's it feel, 10th taichou-san…to be cornered?"

Hitsugaya remembered when Hinamori had used to tell him about Aizen and this man he was fighting now. She had mostly bragged about Aizen, but Ichimaru was his lieutenant, and if one man was respected, his partner should be also.

Hitsugaya used to think that, for being with Aizen, Gin must be an honest, truthful, man. Since Aizen was like family to Hinamori, Hinamori was like family to Hitsugaya, and Ichimaru was Aizen's closet follower, which made them almost like family. That was how Gin himself had explained it to Hitsugaya when he had first joined the Gotei 13. _"I'd be like you're Oji-san." _Ichimaru had told the little boy.

_**I cannot believe you claimed you were my family **_

_**Don't sweat it, set on false pretense**_

Now, Hitsugaya furiously threw his hidden chain connected to his sword, which had a blade-type device at the end of it.

The chain wrapped itself around Shinsou, taking Ichimaru by surprise for a moment. Hitsugaya leapt into the air, flipped over, and landed behind him in a crouch, yanking on the chain and trying to wretch the hilt of the sword from Gin's hands. But Ichimaru pulled the blade away in a straight line, and the empty chains fell to the ground.

"Oh, I see." Ichimaru jeered. "I shouldn'a underestimated…Hitsugaya Toshiro. Guess that's why they say no use regrettin' yer mistakes."

Hitsugaya was down on one knee, his sword still raised, a few feet in front of where Hinamori lay, blocking his enemy's path to her, defending her.

"No, not yet." Hitsugaya growled. Ichimaru frowned, and the white haired boy blinked. "Your real regret hasn't even begun yet." He voice rumbled in his chest as he opened his eyes; clear aqua had now turned to misty white. "For having made me this serious…" He glared up at the other taichou, slowly standing to his feet. "Regret as much as you damn well please!" The bright light was back again, and it was three times as bright as it had been the first time. Izuru stepped back, and the frown remained on his captain's face.

A strong wind blasted around Hitsugaya, and he leapt into the air, looking down at Ichimaru. Toshiro clenched his teeth and held his Zanpakutou straight out in front of him. The white-blue light slithered up the blade and engulfed the sword. Seconds later it was covered in ice. "Set upon the Frosted Heavens," The ice formed a long, blue dragon with crimson eyes in five seconds flat. He slashed the air and every particle his sword touched turned to ice to help form the dragon. "Hyorinmaru!!!"

The giant beast swirled around his master in spirals, and Ichimaru's smile gave away no emotions. Izuru could only stay where he was, literally frozen with mixed feelings of fear and admiration."It creates a dragon of water and ice from overflowing spirit force…and…even controls the weather." The blonde lieutenant recalled what he had been told about the 10th division captain's Zanpakutou. "This is my first time seeing it…This is Hitsugaya Taichou's…_the _most powerful ice-snow type Zanpakutou…Hyorinmaru!"

Hitsugaya aimed his sword at Ichimaru, directing the dragon to attack. The creature roared in understanding, spewing icicles in every direction. He lunged forward, jaws gaping and crashed into the ground, ice shards flying everywhere, as Ichimaru and Izuru jumped away.

_What a volume of water!_ Kira thought. _What speed! I couldn't avoi-_ His thoughts were cut off as he felt a freezing sensation creep up his body. He shouted in shock as the ice weighed him down and forbade him a proper landing and he went crashing to the ground.

Ichimaru did not seem to care about his lieutenant; he showed no concern as he turned to face Hitsugaya. The younger boy slashed the air again, and the swirling dragon bellowed again and with his mouth wide open, charged forward towards Ichimaru. _You'll pay Ichimaru! Aizen made the sacrifice of the highest price, and Hinamori almost paid the same price, just to stop you! I will avenge Aizen, and save Hinamori from her guilt! _

_**Betray, you're not gonna be willing to change**_

_**Yeah, and it doesn't seem likely to fade**_

_**Betray, you're not gonna be willing to change**_

_**Ca-ca-ca-cause you know**_

_**And sacrifice, false pretense, you'll learn again**_

_**Stop pretending, don't deny**_

_**False pretense you'll learn again**_

Gin smirked and thrust his blade out horizontally in front of him.

Hyorinmaru bit onto the sword, and continued to plow into it. The own dragon's force caused Shinsou to slice right through the center of it, splitting it in two as it disintegrated into small fragments of ice.

Ichimaru smirked, thinking that he was victorious. But Hitsugaya had thrown the chain at the end of his sword's hilt, which had frozen into the ice that incased Ichimaru's left arm.

Gin had lost.

Hitsugaya held his Zanpakutou tightly, not letting the chain slip from his hands. Ichimaru turned his head slowly. _Ya think you've won dontcha? Hitsugaya Taichou. _Under his shihakushou, Ichimaru positioned his blade, ready to aim…

Hitsugaya pointed his blade at the 3rd squad's captain.

"Taichou!" Izuru cried out, unable to move due to all the ice.

"Its over, Ichimaru!" Hitsugaya said threateningly.

"Shoot to Death," Ichimaru turned around all of the way, his left eye opening for the first time he could recall in a very long while. He glared down at the boy. "Shinsou!" The blade tore through his taichou's haori, and shot towards Hitsugaya. The white haired boy's aqua eyes widened and he ducked backwards at the very last second, deflecting the other Zanpakutou with his own. "Sure you wanna dodge that?" Ichimaru sneered.

Hitsugaya gasped with realization, but he was far too late.

The blade stretched out behind him, aiming for Hinamori.

"That girl's gonna die." Ichimaru laughed to himself.

"Hinamori!!!" Hitsugaya yelled desperately. _No!!_

Suddenly, the deadly blade was slowed to a grinding halt.

Matsumoto blocked Shinsou with Haineko; she was down on one knee with the effort of deflecting the sword. Inches behind her, Hinamori lay untouched. Hitsugaya felt a wave of relief and gratefulness wash over him at the sight of his fukuutaichou, never before had he been so relieved to see her.

Gin frowned as he witnessed what had happened to his attack, but more importantly, who stopped it. Kira watched the whole scene in silence.

"Matsumoto…" Hitsugaya whispered, still in shock, but the utmost gratitude also resided in his voice.

"My deepest apologies." Rangiku spoke loud enough for her captain to hear her. "I had tried to return to the Squad building as you ordered, but sensing Hyorinmaru's reiatsu, I had to come back. Please withdraw your sword, Ichimaru Taichou."

The silver haired man looked more annoyed and frustrated than he ever had in his entire life.

For a long moment, no one budged.

"If you do not withdraw," Matsumoto's voice was firm and honest, knowing that the threat she was about to use would make him retreat. "I will be your opponent from here on." She knew that she was the only person that he would not dare to even think to fight.

She could not believe that _he, _the one she loved, of all people would do something like this. When they were little, he had always told her that he despised people who hurt others, whether it be physically or emotionally. She found it ironic and almost funny to even think that _he_ had been the one to say it.

_I hope you're happy with what you've done. And now, after everything you've done, all the lies you've told, you've been apprehended. _

Shinsou pushed forward a bit harder, cracking Haineko's blade even more.

Ichimaru's frown was now full of indecision and anger, and then he smiled.

_**It's time to let it go**_

_**I can't seem to understand it how you've turned out to be so cold**_

_**You tried but were caught red-handed, are you happy with your role?**_

_**It's funny to me how you've turned into such a joke **_

Finally, the 3rd squad's captain's Zanpakutou pulled away and it returned back to its usual state.

Matsumoto stood to her feet and glared up at her old friend in disbelief and fury. Ichimaru just grinned and turned around, beginning to walk away.

"Wait, Ichimaru!" Hitsugaya demanded. The older captain stopped for a moment and turned his head.

"Instead o' followin' me, take care of 5th squad fukuutaichou-san." Hitsugaya's eyes widened and he gritted his teeth as Ichimaru disappeared from sight. _Damn it! I almost had him! I was so _close_! _He cursed himself in his mind.

Then he turned around and leapt from the roof of the building he had been standing on. He passed Matsumoto in silence, aggravated at the fact that he had failed in capturing Aizen's murderer.

"Matsumoto, you get Izuru." He ordered her, sheathing his sword.

"Hai." Was her quiet response.

Hitsugaya knelt down next to his childhood friend. _I'm sorry Hinamori, I _will _make him pay I swear it to you. _He vowed again.

Then he lifted her up and the 10th division members carried the 5th and 3rd squad's lieutenants away.

_**And sacrifice, **_

_**False pretense, you'll learn again**_

_**Stop pretending, don't deny**_

_**False pretense you'll learn again**_

That night, Ichimaru walked through the dark corridors of Central 46.

The smell of blood was strong in the air.

"Gin, you're late." The voice echoed through the silent room. "Well that's alright I suppose. Gomen, you just missed the slaughter. I was going to wait for you but…" A silence passed by. "Oh well. Good work Ichimaru, you've served me well." Ichimaru came to a halt in front of the other man, who was just sheathing his bloody sword.

"Arigatou, Aizen taichou."

_**So play-ay-ay the game until you run out**_

_**And play-ay-ay the game into my hand. **_

_**

* * *

**_

**A/N: Done! Sorry if it got confusing when I threw in parts that were not in the anime or manga, those are my original parts. It was hard to make up dialogue for Gin though lol since he talks so weird in Japanese. Again, this is starting to branch away from the manga / anime so please no flames! Thanks, and hope you liked it! **

**Please review!!**

**And I might start putting previews like this now!:**

**_Next chapter: ..._****_"_Then I can't sit by and let this execution go on. Follow me, Matsumoto. We're gonna stop this execution."** ... **Hinamori had finally decided that everything between her and her former best friend was over. Forever_...I've had enough..._**

* * *


	18. Face Down

**Yes, yes you all know that I apologize deeply for the long wait. But rejoice! The hiatus is over!! Please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I am not Kubo-sensei and do not own Bleach. Songfic song by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.**

* * *

Chapter 18. Face Down

Hitsugaya and Matsumoto had sped through the long shadows and made their way back to the 10th division.

By the time they had finally gotten back, dawn had already broken and the light was washing over them.

The two had stopped by the 3rd division and explained the condition of their unconscious lieutenant and their missing captain. They left Kira in the Healing Quarters and he was to be questioned when he woke.

Now, they stood over the small bed, Hinamori lay in, hardly moving except for the slight rising and falling of her chest. An IV was connected to her wrist and beeped regularly along with her pulse. Hitsugaya stared down at her and could not help but to think that he could have prevented all of this. He had his suspicions about who he thought to be Ichimaru's accomplice, but he kept his thoughts to himself; for now.

"If you hadn't come…Hinamori would be dead." He forced out the words quietly. "Arigatou, Matsumoto." He thanked his solemn lieutenant beside him.

"Not at all." She replied, rubbing the bandaged hand that had been injured in the quarrel. She remembered the Gin she used to know, the little boy with the bad habit of disappearing without telling her where he was going, that still had not changed. "Gin…just where are you about to go…?" She wondered out loud.

Hitsugaya had troublesome thoughts of his own. _That letter from Aizen…how much of it was altered…and who altered it? Ichimaru, or was it Aizen himself?_ Hitsugaya thought it seemed highly unlikely that his suspicions about Aizen still being alive and plotting against them all to be true.

He remembered the day Hinamori had found out about his 'death', if he really _was _dead that is. Hitsugaya had not witnessed the whole scene, but what had brought him there that morning was the sound of Hinamori's agonized cry for her taichou. _Could Aizen really still be alive? Could he really be behind all of this? But why? What would he be after? What's his goal? Are Hinamori and all the others just pawns for his game?_ Hitsugaya shook his head, not fully believing his own thoughts. _But this wouldn't be the first time someone in Seireitei has committed treason or blasphemy. It's possible…_

**_Hey girl you know you drive me crazy_**

**_One look puts the rhythm in my head_**

**_Still I never understand why you hang around_**

**_I see what's going down_**

**_Cover up with makeup in the mirror_**

**_Tell yourself it's never gonna happen again_**

**_You cry alone, and then he swears he loves you_**

_No. Could Hinamori be in on this too? Could he be using her for something? Using bribes, lies, or threats to mess with her head? What does he want?_

Hitsugaya tried to think of something Aizen would be interested in getting if he was behind this. But then he pushed the thoughts away, still unconvinced that anyone besides Ichimaru would be plotting this. _The power of the Soukyoku to be released for Kuchiki Rukia's execution…plotting the destruction of Soul Society using that power…was that part real? _

Again his mind flashed back to the morning not so long ago, when Hinamori's tortured cry had echoed throughout Seireitei and Aizen's blood had stained the walls. Then he pictured Ichimaru's smug face, grinning in triumph, as it always seemed to be. _If it was real…If that is that bastard Ichimaru's plan…I…_

His thoughts were cut off when a small black shape drifted past him to rest on Matsumoto's finger. "A Hell Butterfly?" She let the insect give her its message. "_Reporting to all taichou and fukuutaichou,_" She quoted the messenger. "_There has been a change regarding the date of execution of death row inmate Kuchiki Rukia. Enforcement of sentence will be 29 hours from now._" Hitsugaya's eyes widened. "_This is the final judgment._ _There will be no further change in date. That is all._" She finished as the butterfly took off.

Without a word, Hitsugaya walked out of the room and Matsumoto hurried after him. "Taichou…" He stopped walking.

"The execution and the associated release of the Soukyoku…If that is Ichimaru's aim…" He avoided adding in Aizen's name. "Then I can't sit by and let this execution go on. Follow me, Matsumoto. We're gonna stop this execution."

And with that, the two of them were off.

* * *

The captain and vice-captain of the 10th Squad knew that their time was limited; the execution was noon that day, in less than an hour.

They had wasted the entire day yesterday, the night, and the morning hours. They had stopped frequently to give orders or to warn some Shinigami and now were trying to get to the execution grounds to stop the meaningless death of an innocent girl.

As they went, Hitsugaya and Matsumoto stopped and turned around as they heard a loud noise and saw a glowing, blue light, signaling that the execution was starting. "It's begun… We've gotta hurry, Matsumoto!"

"Hai." She agreed.

As the two went however, they were unaware of a silent shadow following in their footsteps.

Now Toshiro and Rangiku were running at top speed to get to Soukyoku Hill. They could clearly see the fire of the mighty bird beginning to take form up atop the tall, rocky hill.

Hitsugaya thought back to a few hours ago, before he and Matsumoto had left.

_He stared down at Hinamori, watching her sleep, breathing slowly. He remembered how she had come to be this way; it was because he had hit her so hard, unintentionally. _

Hinamori…I'm sorry you got involved in all of this. I _will_ stop this I swear it. Get better please. I love you._ He thought. And with one last glance at his best friend, he turned and left the room. "How is she?" Matsumoto had asked anxiously. _

"_Sleeping." He responded simply. Then, he turned and placed his palm into the air in the doorway. Silently, for he did not require the chant, the boy proceeded to form a barrier. _

"_That was Kyoumon…" Rangiku observed, when he had finished. "Why put a barrier on this room?" She asked. _

"_I can't predict who might do what." He answered. "It's to protect her from outside enemies." _

"_Outside enemies..." Matsumoto found it hard to believe that anyone would target or label Hinamori as an enemy. _

"_Let's go." He instructed. _

**_Do you feel like a man_**

**_When you push her around?_**

**  
_Do you feel better now_**

**_As she falls to the ground?_**

**_Well I'll tell you my friend_**

**_One day, this world's going to end_**

**_As your lies crumble down_**

**_A new life she had found_**

The possibility that Aizen was behind this had still not sunk in as Hitsugaya continued to run.

Then, there was a sudden explosion and cloud of brown dust to their right on Soukyoku Hill, and the red blaze of the firebird was gone.

"Could that be the ryoka?" Rangiku asked.

"With such a huge clash of reiatsu at the Soukyoku… what _else_ could it be?" He asked cynically. "Now that the situation's gotten this complicated, we'll have to appeal directly to the bigwigs and try to convince them." He decided, meaning that they were now going to go straight to Center 46.

"And to do that, we're going to tell them about the Aizen taichou matter directly?" Matsumoto asked her captain.

"Yeah, especially the hidden side of it." He added darkly, deciding to tell about Ichimaru and all of his suspicions. "Let's hurry!"

Then they took off with shunpou, leaping over rooftops and practically flying to get to their destination.

* * *

Hinamori raced after the taichou and fukuutaichou as fast as her weak body would allow her.

She tried desperately to keep up with them as soon as they began using shunpou. She was panting hard and her legs felt like they might give in at any moment, but she had come this far, she had followed them all this way, and she was not going to let her captain down. She was going to avenge his murderer, even if it was the last thing she ever did.

When she had woken up that morning, she was in the 10th division, lying on a white hospital bed. A small cart sat next to her bedside, with a few cups and her taichou's letter for her. She had gotten dressed into her shihakushou and then picked up the piece of paper. Several tears dripped down her cheeks and dampened the paper in her fingers.

"Taichou…" She whispered. Then her legs gave in beneath her and she collapsed onto the floor. She sobbed with tears streaming down her face. "What should I…" She trailed off.

Then she straightened up and wiped the tears away. She placed the folded paper into her shirt and placed her hands on top of it, pressing it close to her heart. Finally she stood again and the fragile little girl was gone. Determination blazed from within her heart and spread throughout her body, burning away any doubt or fear that used to reside there. She was not just going to stand by and let injustice take place. All it took was one small flame to spread and give her strength.

She knew that she would most likely be punished for her past actions and the ones she was about to take. But she had to do something, for she was perhaps the only one who knew the truth.

"After all, I have to make sure…" She did not finish her sentence out loud. _…that Hitsugaya-kun pays for what he has done._

_**A pebble in the water makes a ripple effect**_

**_Every action in this world will bear a consequence_**

**_If you wade around forever you will surely drown_**

**_I see what's going down_ **

Hitsugaya and Matsumoto had finally come to a stop at the entrance of Central 46.

The large, heavy doors were left unguarded and unprotected.

"The gate security personnel aren't here…" The orange haired woman stated, reaching behind her for her Zanpakutou.

"That's strange." Her captain agreed, reaching for the door. At simply the touch of the tips of his fingers, the doors pushed inward and opened. The two shared a bewildered glance, but entered nonetheless.

A long, wooden bridge lay between them and the next door. The loud echo of the doors clanging bounced back in the silence. Cautiously now, the two proceeded to walk over the bridge, blue water swirling beneath them. When they reached the next, unguarded door, suspicions rose even higher.

"No security here either…" Rangiku observed. Toshiro took a step forward and tried to push open this door as well but it did not budge.

"This one is locked from the inside." He announced. He glanced back at his lieutenant who understood what he meant automatically. She stepped back to give him space.

"This is 10th Squad's Hitsugaya Taichou. I want permission to enter the Central Office of 46 for an urgent audience."

The only response he received was 5 vertical and 9 horizontal, metal beams connecting and making the door almost impassible.

"The emergency defense lock is working." Matsumoto pointed out.

"Mm. This is getting stranger and stranger." Hitsugaya agreed. "What the Hell is going on…?" After he had pondered their options for a moment, Hitsugaya stepped up to the sealed door.

"What should we do?" Matsumoto asked him.

"No choice." Hitsugaya decided, reaching behind him and gripping the hilt of his sword. "Get back." He ordered.

"Don't tell me…" But there was no need for her to finish her question for it was already too late. The blade fell upon the metal bars sealing the door and crumbled them with one mere slash. The large door cracked and caved in as well, giving the two direct passage. "That's the door of the Central 46, you know!" Matsumoto reminded him, shocked. "Doing this…" She trailed off as her captain spoke.

"The alarm isn't sounding." He murmured, apprehensively.

"What?" Rangiku realized that he was right.

"Even though I busted the door open, the alarm isn't sounding." His suspicions rose even more, for he knew that something was definitely wrong, and he could no longer suppress the growing feeling that Aizen had something to do with all of this.

Only now was he truly grateful that he had thought to put the barrier up around Hinamori's room. _Whoever's behind this would be likely to target her as well, since she was Aizen's fukuutaichou. And because she played her own part in all of this. _

Yet he could still not shake the ominous feeling that Hinamori was in danger, and that it was possible that her captain was not dead, and might be causing that danger.

**_I see the way you go and say you're right again_**

**_Say you're right again_**

**_Heed my lecture_**

**_Do you feel like a man_**

**_When you push her around? _**

**_Do you feel better now_**

**_As she falls to the ground? _**

**_Well I'll tell you my friend_**

**_One day this world's going to end_**

**_As your lies crumble down_**

**_A new life she has found_**

"Someone took out the gate guards and walked right in there." Hitsugaya continued explaining his theory. "Then, that person locked the door and made it so the alarm wouldn't sound if people like us came."

"So that it wouldn't attract attention?" His vice-captain guessed.

The two of them ran straight forward as door after door opened for them. They raced down long spirals of stairs until they finally came to a dead halt.

"What the Hell is this…?" Hitsugaya's aqua eyes were doubled to twice their size in shock and horror. "What's going on?"

* * *

Hinamori stopped a little ways behind the two of them and heard their disbelieving comments.

_What's going on? What happened? Is that…blood I smell?_ Questions flew around in her mind, but she remained silent.

Soon it was obvious that the stench was blood, but she knew that Hitsugaya and Matsumoto had not kill whomever it was. _No, maybe not, but Hitsugaya-kun _did _kill…Aizen Taichou. _She remembered bitterly. _That's it._ She felt tears form behind her eyes, but she did not cry. _I can no longer deny that he killed him. Everything between us, Hitsugaya-kun, all of the good times and bonds of trust between us are over and broken. I've had enough of these lies and murders. I've had enough…_

She remained hidden, but she had finally decided that everything between her and her former best friend was over.

Forever.

**_One day she will tell you that_**

**_She has had enough_**

**_It's coming round again_**

**_One day she will tell you that_**

**_She has had enough_**

**_It's coming round again_**

Hitsugaya felt another strong wave of terror wash over him as he stared at the bloody scene before him.

_Whatever they're up to, whoever's behind all of this, weather it's Ichimaru, Aizen or someone else, I'm still getting the feeling that Hinamori is in danger. Whoever it is, I will put a stop to all of this. You've used Hinamori like a meaningless doll, pulling the strings and commanding her to do what you want. But I _will_ put and end to it, I'll kill whoever's done this and lift the burden off of her shoulders so she can get on with her life and live it in peace. _

_I'll make sure of it._

**_Do you feel like a man_**

_**When you push her around?**_

_**Do you feel better now**_

_**As she falls to the ground?**_

_**Well I'll tell you my friend**_

_**One day this world's going to end**_

_**As your lie crumble down**_

_**A new life she has**_

Ichimaru silently crept up behind the girl, who was listening to the conversation of the 10th division's captain and lieutenant.

He remembered what Aizen had instructed him to do recently: _You bring her here, and I'll finish her off. That will lure the boy here as well, and that's two less pests to stop us._

Ichimaru had not gotten much action for a while and he would have preferred to kill her that instant himself, but he dare not oppose his Master.

_**Face Down in the dirt**_

**_She said, 'This doesn't hurt'_**

**_She said, 'I've finally had enough'_**

Hinamori could not stop the waves of memories that assaulted her mind.

All of the times she and her Shiro-chan had been through together.

The games, the death of their grandfather and grandmother, the incident with the Hollow, going into the Shinigami Academy together and graduating.

The friendship they had had, the bond that was closer than brother and sister…it was all over.

_I've had enough…_

_**Face Down in the dirt**_

**_She said, 'this doesn't hurt'_**

**_She said, 'I've finally had enough'._**

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**A/N: And there you have it. We all know what is coming next! (Cries)**

**Pleeease review!!**


	19. Angels

**Sorry! I lost my Internet at home for 2 months so yeah...mercy plz! ;;^^ I love you all 3 No kill me thnx. **

**This chappie is dedicated to Lady-x-Exorcist because they gave me my last review which inspire me to write the next chapter :3**

**Disclaimer: If I somehow found a way to own Bleach, I certainly would have told you all (aka rub it in your faces) already X3 Songfic song by Within Temptation.**

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Chapter 19. Angels

_Central-Room 46. It is composed of 40 sages brought together from all across Soul Society, as well as 6 judges. It is Soul Society's greatest justice machine. All of the crimes Shinigami commit will be tried here, without being questioned by Soul Society. If it is decided that military force is needed, then with their ruling, orders will certainly be handed down to the Military Police, the Special Forces and the Gotei 13. And once the ruling has been given, even a taichou will not be allowed to object. That is Central-Room 46. _

Hitsugaya and Matsumoto stared in total horror at the scene before them. Every single member of Center 46 was dead, blood splattered all about the room and limp bodies strewn about the place. The two walked slowly as they made their way to the massacre. The aqua-eyed boy stopped near one of the bodies, sliding his finger through the crusty, dry blood.

"The blood is dry." He stated. "It's to the point where it's turned black and is flaking apart. This means that they weren't just killed yesterday or today. When were they killed?!" he forced his thoughts back to a few weeks prior_. _

_When Abarai was beaten and it was first announced that we were at war, the Central Capital Basement was completely locked down. No one was even allowed to come near this place. And until we forcefully broke in, the security wall was completely closed and showed no signs of being entered. In other words, all the decisions we were told were made by Central 46 were fake._ He gritted his teeth. _Who did this?! Was it Ichimaru? Could he come so far on his own? Is there someone else collaborating with him?! _Toshiro's suspicions about Aizen could not be any higher at this point.

"I thought you would be here, Hitsugaya Taichou." A familiar voice echoed around the room. Hitsugaya's eyes widened as he recognized the tone.

"Kira!" He clenched his teeth together. "You aren't the one who did this, are you?!" He asked the lieutenant disbelievingly. Izuru snorted softly, and then disappeared. "Follow him, Matsumoto!" The captain ordered.

"Right!" they took off after him, using shunpou to gain as much ground as possible as they raced up the spiral of stairs they had just come down. They pursued Kira all the way back to the door they had shattered and out into the streets of Seireitei. As the 3rd squad vice-captain increased his speed, Hitsugaya leapt ahead to keep pace with him.

"Wait, Kira!" He called as they darted over the rooftops. "Answer my question! Were you the one who did that to Room 46?!"

"No." Izuru replied coolly. "Right before you came, I had someone from the inside let me in."

"You were let in?! By whom?" the story Toshiro was being told was beginning to sound more and more absurd.

"It's obvious, isn't it? By Room 46." he told the captain.

"You've got to be joking!" Hitsugaya growled, annoyed at the blonde now. "The seal was-"

"More importantly, is this okay, Hitsugaya Taichou?" Izuru cut him off. "Instead of chasing after me, shouldn't you really be protecting Hinamori-kun?"

The question almost halted Hitsugaya in his tracks.

"What are you saying? Right now Hinamori is-"

"Not there." Kira finished. "She's no longer in the 10th Squad's Barracks." Fear thrashed inside of the captain as he continued his pursuit. "Hitsugaya Taichou, you put a barrier around the room Hinamori-kun was sleeping in, didn't you? It is a high level barrier called Kyoumon that protects against outside attacks. That's why you were able to relax and leave Hinamori-kun behind. But that barrier is very easy to break from the inside. Hinamori-kun is a master with Kidou. It's no problem for her to break the barrier. It's also no problem for her to place a barrier around herself and completely hide her reiatsu while moving about. Haven't you noticed? Hinamori-kun has been following behind you the whole time."

Icy fear spread inside the white haired boy. _Hinamori…I knew it…something is wrong…I have to get to her…_The ice then melted away into flames, a burning desire to protect.

"Matsumoto! Can I leave this to you?" He asked the woman behind him.

"By all means!" she replied, undeniably.

With her answer, Hitsugaya pushed off with one foot, reeled around, and was off pelting through the air they way he had just come.

_Hinamori…_

_**Sparkling angel I believe**_

_**You were my savior in my time of need,**_

_**Blinded by faith I couldn't hear **_

_**All of the whispers, the warnings so clear**_

When the three of them were finally gone, Hinamori stepped away from her hiding spot.

_I came to warn you…Be careful of 3__rd__ squad…be careful…_ Hitsugaya's warnings flew through her mind, but she shook them off.

As she looked around the bloody room, her eyes met a much more terrible scene then she ever could have imagined.

"What…is this…?" Bodies were scattered all about, the rusty stench of blood was dull, but sharp. "Central-Room 46 is dead…Everyone…Hitsugaya-kun was surprised. Kira-kun was here. Hitsugaya-kun followed him out. What does this mean?" She voiced her troubled thoughts, thinking that saying them and asking the questions out loud would get her explanations. "If Hitsugaya-kun was the one who killed Aizen Taichou, then isn't Hitsugaya-kun also the one who did this? So…So the one who did this was…Kira-kun? So then Hitsugaya-kun…Aizen Taichou!" Her thoughts swarmed about, assaulting her brain with unanswerable questions that needed answering. She closed her eyes for a second and tried to rethink the situation logically, but nothing was making sense anymore.

Then, she felt a familiar reiatsu behind her and her eyes flew open.

"Welcome, Hinamori-chan." The snake-like voice murmured into her ear.

"Ichimaru Taichou!" She turned to face him.

"Come here." His smile was demanding, as if no one could oppose his request. He turned around and walked leisurely away, at an eerily slow pace.

Meanwhile, Hitsugaya said her name as if she could hear him, and was warning her, ordering her not to go.

_…Be careful of 3__rd__ squad…_Hinamori, forced away the thought of her childhood friend, and followed after the captain of Squad 3, not knowing that she had led her friend into a deadly trap that he could not escape.

_**I see the angels,**_

_**I'll lead them to your door,**_

_**There's no escape now,**_

_**No mercy no more,**_

_**No remorse cause I still remember**_

"This is the Seijyoutou Kyorin." Hinamori noted softly as she followed Ichimaru. "This is the residential area for Room 46. Why are you taking me to this place? Ichimaru Taichou." Panic rose inside of her, and unintentionally showed in her voice.

"Have you come here before, Hinamori-chan?" Gin asked as he walked up a small staircase.

"Oh, no. Isn't it completely restricted?" She answered shakily as she followed him more slowly. "It's my first time even seeing it."

"It's a favor for the person who wants to meet you." Ichimaru explained, somewhat smugly. Hinamori followed him into a shadowy room.

"Wants to meet…with me?" she repeated, failing to see why anyone would want to see her at hectic times such as these.

"That's right." He replied.

"But…" She trailed off, not knowing what else to say.

"See, take a look." He said, turning around to face her. She blinked in confusion. "Behind you." he told her.

"Behind me?" she heard footsteps close by and turned as she was instructed. She gasped as her heart almost stopped.

Before her stood the man that she had come to love and had believed was murdered by her best friend. "Aizen Taichou!" Hinamori exhaled, not believing her own eyes.

His brown eyes were sincere and caring, and he gave her that warm smile, the smile he always used to show.

_**The smile when you tore me apart,**_

_**You took my heart,**_

_**Deceived me right from the start**_

_**You showed me dreams**_

_**I wished they'd turn into real**_

_**You broke a promise, and made me realize**_

_**It was all just a lie**_

"Long time no see, Hinamori-kun."

The simple sound of his voice made warmth spread throughout her entire body. She missed the way he said her name…

"Are you really Aizen Taichou?" She asked, almost unwilling to believe. _I saw it myself that morning…Aizen taichou…you were dead…and if not, why didn't anyone else notice…?_ She cleared her thoughts and willed herself to believe it was true, that he was alive and he was not going to leave her. "You were supposed to be dead." She whispered, slowly walking towards him. All doubt or suspicion was now drained from her voice, replaced by relief and joy.

"I'm alive. Just as you see." Aizen reassured her. Hinamori could not get out the words that she wanted to say.

"Aizen Taichou! Aizen Taichou! I…" She stammered, reaching out and clutching his robes. She stared up at him for a long moment, tears flooding her eyelids. "Aizen Taichou…" She repeated his name as if saying it would keep him there; keep the miracle alive.

"I'm sorry." He smiled down at her. "I've made you worry." He placed his hand on her head. _Aizen Taichou's hand. It's warm and big…_ She remembered the night that seemed so long ago, when she had asked to come into his house to speak to him.

_"Until you calm down, you may talk about anything. I don't mind. Do as you please." _He had told her.

_It cleanses my heart as it always did. It's Aizen Taichou's smell. It really is Aizen Taichou. _He pulled her closer as her body began to shake with sobs and she remembered that horrible morning; the blood dripping freely from the lifeless body and down the walls like a blooming, bleeding flower… _I thought I couldn't go on. At that time, I thought that I couldn't go on. But that's not right. That's a lie. It was a lie. Right. I knew that. There's no way Aizen Taichou could die. There's no way he could die and leave me behind. _She thought to herself as she cried, for she knew that if he really ever did die, she would follow right behind him.

"You've lost some weight." Aizen noted aloud as she moved closer to him. "I'm truly sorry." He lied. "For this to have hurt you so badly…" She shook her head and whimpered happily, but said nothing. "But you'll understand." He went on. "I only had you. There was something that I had to do, and because of that, I had to hide myself. So I feigned death. And I-"

"It's okay." Hinamori cried. "It's okay now. As long as you're alive, I have nothing to…" She did not finish for she was consumed by tears.

"Arigatou, Hinamori-kun. I'm truly thankful to have you as a subordinate. Arigatou, Hinamori-kun. Truly, arigatou." his soothing words floated around her, and she thought that she was about to wake up from a dream, when actually; it was a nightmare she would never wake up from.

"Sayonara."

_**Sparkling angel, I couldn't see**_

_**Your dark intentions, your feelings for me**_

_**Fallen angel, tell me why?**_

_**What is the reason, the thorn in your eye?**_

_**I see the angels**_

_**I'll lead them to your door**_

_**There's no escape now**_

_**No mercy no more**_

_**No remorse cause I still remember**_

Pain.

It was all she was aware of.

The pain of the sword that jabbed right through her and spilled her blood onto the floor.

The pain of the confusion and utter betrayal that she felt towards the man she looked up to.

The pain of being the victim of foul play and torture.

And the pain of never apologizing to her best friend, for her accusations were wrong.

The pain of not being able to tell him how much she was sorry and how much she regretted her actions.

The pain.

The horrible, tormenting, agonizing pain.

She looked up at the man she admired the most, wanting him to wake her up from the nightmare, hoping to see shock on his face for what had just happened to her. She wanted to see the anger in his eyes towards whoever had just stabbed her. She wanted him to avenge her. She wanted to see horror, shock, and distress.

But when she looked up, he was not concerned for her; he was smiling.

**_The smile when you tore me apart_ **

**_You took my heart_ **

**_Deceived me right from the start_ **

**_You showed me dreams_ **

**_I wished they'd turn into real_ **

**_You broke a promise and made me realize_ **

_**It was all just a lie**_

Hinamori wished that this was not real.

She wished that she would just wake up already so she could continue living her life with her dear taichou.

They would have been together for all of time.

But now, it was all over.

_**Could have been forever**_

_**Now we have reached the end**_

She desperately tired to think of what would have caused him to do this. Was he being threatened? Was he protecting something? Was he just not satisfied with something? He could not achieve something so he was taking it out on others? On _her_? No. He surely would not do this without reason.

But the truth was that he was dissatisfied and he desired to walk a different road, a different path. One that lead to betrayal, bloodshed, and power. But why would he follow such a road? Why would he not decide to live a peaceful life and give up that hunger for power?

No one ever found out the answer.

_**This world may have failed you**_

_**It doesn't give the reason why,**_

_**You could have chosen a different path in life**_

Hinamori gasped for air as the blade plunged into her stomach, stopping her lungs and slowing her heart.

She looked down, unwilling to see what it was that was killing her, because she knew it was from _his_ hand.

Blood covered the sword and his hands, as well as the floor and her clothing. _Her _blood.

"What is this?" She managed to choke out, tears falling to the ground and mixing with the crimson. She reached a shaky hand forward and tried to touch the sword, the blood, his hand… "What?" She repeated. The girl looked up at his face again, and this time she saw more clearly. The cruel smile had faded away and was now replaced by an unflagging scowl.

All of the love and care that had been there just seconds before was gone. No emotion, no caring, no love was in his gaze now. He looked at her as if she were a meaningless insect, bowing at the paws of a mighty lion; completely and totally inferior.

She had been lied to.

She had been used.

She had been naïve and foolish.

And now she was paying for it.

**_The smile when you tore me apart _**

**_You took my heart_**

_**Deceived me right from the start**_

_**You showed me dreams**_

_**I wish they'd turn into real**_

_**You broke a promise and made me realize**_

_**It was all just a lie**_

The pain had instantly numbed her entire body, but now, as he withdrew his sword, the pain came crashing back on her.

She felt the metal slide right through her and she felt everything that was inside of her lurch. She felt the blood pooling out, as if someone had pulled the plug to a sink and the liquids were rapidly draining away.

She slumped forward and collided roughly with the ground, scarlet clouding her gaze. She could feel the warm, sticky blood drenching her as it flowed freely from her now. She never knew she had so much blood, so, so much…

Her chestnut eyes glazed over and her mind started to turn blank. She could hear one voice snicker behind her as the other spoke.

"Let's go, Gin." Her inept ears dulled the response.

"Hai, Aizen Taichou."

That name.

She would never forget that name.

_Aizen…Taichou…_

She wanted to speak, but her mind was blank and consumed by darkness.

Her last thought was of the one she loved the most.

_Hitsugaya…kun…_

_**Could have been forever**_

_**Now we have reached the end.**_

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**A/N: I hated this chapter! I hated the episode too! I had to watch it over and over again to try and get all the dialogue right and stuff. But this song is just SO perfect... **

**Hmm...I've never done a preview before so let's try it out.**

**Next chapter, My Immortal:**

_Then, for the first and last time, Hinamori was allowed to see some of her better memories for a brief instant. They were of her and a white haired boy. She knew he was very close to her, all the time they had spent together was flashing right before her eyes._ But I can't remember his name..

**Look forward to it and Please Review!!**


	20. My Immortal

**Again SO SORRY for the long wait! I just finished chapter 34. I SWEAR to post up like, 3 new chapters all at once as soon as I finshed writting the whole fic! Pease have mercy!! T^T **

**Disclaimer: Me no owning Bleach, raaah! Ever. Songfic song by Evanescense.**

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Chapter 20. My Immortal

Hinamori was barely aware of what was happening.

All she knew was that there was an intense pain and Aizen had caused it. As she hit the floor, her mind went blank.

Suddenly, Hinamori opened her eyes; she was in her old Academy uniform, at her old home, with a white-haired boy. It was a holiday, and Hinamori had promised to come visit on these days and she did. Their grandmother was still alive, and she waved to Hinamori before disappearing into the house. "Okay then, I'm going, Shiro-chan." She beamed, placing a hand on top of his head and ruffling his spiky hair. His eyebrow twitched.

"Quit calling me Shiro-chan! And don't pat my head!" He growled, hitting her hand away.

"When you can enroll in the same place as me, then I'll call you by your name." She teased. Rather it was, 'when he _wanted _to enroll'.

"Forget that." He mumbled, annoyed. "As if I'd wanna go to Shinigami school." He pretended to sound uninterested, yet he _was _curious and he really did miss her. She promised again that she would come back to visit on holidays and then ran off down the path, waving. "Don't come back, Bed-Wetter Momo." He called after her.

Then suddenly, she was running through a crowd, pushing her way through and asking to be excused and apologizing for bumping into others. She used her small size to her advantage and snaked her way through the maze of gathered students. She strained to see through the small openings, hopping on her tiptoes.

"Ano, what is everyone looking at?" She asked out loud, partially to herself and partially to anyone that happened to be listening.

"Oh, one of the Gotei 13's Squad taichous is coming to inspect the academy." A tall boy that stood beside her answered.

"Nani? A taichou?!" She gaped, her chestnut eyes wide. Suddenly, she was swept away along with the tide of other students and was pushed along with them. She got a few rough shoves from behind. "H-Hey!" She protested. Seconds afterwards, she was pushed right into the nice, open aisle that the students had cleared for the captain. She blinked a few times before quickly moving back in line.

Now, she had a front-row view of the captain and his lieutenant as they went by. She was instantly stunned at how noble they looked. "That's…a taichou?" She murmured, her eyes doubled. She could not help but to think that there was something captivating about the man with the white haori and brown hair.

Then, Hinamori was suddenly back at her house, eating watermelon with her best friend and explaining about seeing the captain. Hitsugaya was uninterested with the event she thought to be _so_ exciting.

She told him that one day she would join the captain's team, Aizen Taichou's Squad 5.

He just nodded to her sarcastically.

_**I'm so tired of being here**_

_**Suppressed by all my childish fears**_

_**And if you have to leave**_

_**I wish that you would just leave**_

_**Cause you presence still lingers here**_

_**And it won't leave me alone**_

Then, she was just standing in a dark abyss for a time period she did not keep track of.

It was dark, she was alone; that was it.

Nothing else was there and the only one of her five senses that was functioning was sight. This place had nothing to touch, nothing to hear, nothing to taste, and nothing to smell. She thought that it would only be a few moments that she would be here, but it felt like eternity. No white light came to guide her out, the person she wanted to see the most did not suddenly appear in front of her to offer her help.

Nothing.

Just one thing came to her mind, a horrible memory of seeing her captain dead. It was as if that image were a drug and she was addicted. It would not go away, she would not _let _it go away.

Her mind seemed to cling to it for dear life, never letting her forget as she screamed out his name and fell to her knees.

_**These wounds won't seem to heal**_

_**This pain is just too real**_

_**There's just so much that time cannot erase**_

After the images of her 'deceased' captain had finally stopped, Hinamori found herself standing outside of his quarters.

She had asked if she could come in and of course he had told her yes. She said she needed to speak to him about some things, which was true, but mostly, she had just wanted to be with him. She consulted him for many things she did not know the answers to and she found safety in that place. With him there, she was always safe. She asked him many things that night, and he answered all of them with the responses she wanted to hear the most, even if they were not true.

He had to keep her as happy as possible _now _so that when his 'death' happened, she would become extremely upset and work along quite nicely with his plans.

She did his work for him, but it was just so easy for him to make her do it, it was almost laughable.

It was a simple thing, to get pawns, especially if you were a king.

_**When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears**_

_**When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears**_

_**And I held your hand through all of these years**_

**_But you still had all of me_**

Now, Hinamori was back in her Academy uniform.

She was standing with Renji on her right, Kira to her left, and behind her was Hisagi. All four had their swords drawn, but it did not seem as though that would do them any good in this situation. They were surrounded on all sides by huge Hollow of every shape and form. Izuru was panicking, doubting that they would make it out of this alive, on the verge of tears. Renji was cursing under his breath and mumbling that he could probably kill _some_, but not nearly enough to matter. Even her Sensei, Shuuhei was in denial, with his companions dead and backup coming far to slowly.

Hinamori was far worse than any of them. Kira's fright and Renji's doubt combined and multiplied were not nearly enough to match hers. Her whole body was shivering and her eyes refused to blink as she stared up at the monsters. She could not even speak, she was hardly even breathing. Frozen with fear, as they all were, Hinamori knew that, unless, by some miracle some insanely powerful backup came in the next 30 seconds, they were all dead.

Then, as a Hollow prepared to attack, Kira let out one last shout of terror. But then, the attacking beast fell dead. Hinamori gasped as she turned around to see the captain of Squad 5, Aizen Sosuke, and his lieutenant, Ichimaru Gin. He apologized for making them wait. Then, he patted the frightened girl on her head and told her that she had done well and that everything was all right now, and to leave it to him. His hand left her head, and she stared after him.

He was…entrancing. She could only watch in amazement as they took down the enormous Hollow as if it were child's play and they could do it with their eyes closed and hands tied. The captain even stopped one murderous attack by simply using his hand. Then, he turned around and their eyes happened to meet, and he smiled.

For Hinamori, that moment was out of the frying pan, and into the fire.

_**You used to captivate me by your resonating light**_

_**Now I'm bound by the life you left behind**_

_**Your face it haunts my once pleasant dreams**_

_**Your voice it chased away all the sanity in me**_

Hinamori now found herself following Ichimaru.

Somehow she knew what was going to happen, something very bad and very painful, but she could not remember what it was. Then, the silver haired captain instructed her to look behind her. So, slowly, she turned around and her chestnut eyes locked with his dark honey ones. The memories up until recent ones had been clear; she had remembered the exact words that everyone had said and how and why they said them. But as they got more recent, she found it harder and harder to remember the words and who said them to whom. She believed that it was because the past memories were happy, ones she enjoyed, so she _wanted _to remember them. But the fresher ones…

Now, she did not even remember what she had said at this point in time. Hinamori just knew that somehow, she had been watching herself in her past memories and sometimes she had lived them. But now, with the strong feeling of tragedy ahead, she watched herself as she and her captain spoke to one another. She began sobbing as he pulled her closer and apologized. His voice was so spellbinding; as if it could make her do anything he wanted her to. She somehow felt the urge to obey him as he spoke, and her loyal heart would always do as he wished.

Then something odd happened.

He told her goodbye.

And then, at that instant, Hinamori remembered what had happened, what she was reliving and what was about to happen. She wanted to shout out to her past self to run, but no words came out. Then suddenly, the two Hinamori's were merged again, and the current one felt what the past one did. Blood splashed to the ground, pain surged through her and it was as if the whole scene were real and not just a memory, and was happening again 100 times over with triple the amount of pain.

She saw the smile on his face, and that was the last thing she had seen before her eyes had closed.

_**These wounds won't seem to heal**_

_**This pain is just too real**_

_**There's just too much that time cannot erase**_

_**When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears**_

**_When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears_**

_**And I held your hand through all of these year**_

_**But you still had all of me**_

Again, Hinamori found herself in the black abyss.

As soon as her eyes had closed she was back here. She learned by now that when she was in the black abyss, she would have to re-watch horrible memories flash before her and they never stopped even if she closed her eyes. This dark place meant watching the memories, but when she was not here, she was reliving them.

It was one or the other, and she did not even get to choose.

She saw herself sitting in her prison cell, thinking of Aizen, trying to tell herself that he was not coming back. In some ways, he was dead right then and there, even though he was not. But in other ways, he had died to her when the sword had run through her.

During her final seconds, she had realized the painful truth; she was alone.

She had no friends in this world, or in any world. No companions that would stay by her side without manipulating her. She was always being used to someone else's advantages. And now he was dead. The old Aizen she had come to know and love was dead, and now some imposter was walking around using his name and face. He was gone, yet he was still there as well, but not tangibly.

So Hinamori was completely alone and she always had been.

_**I tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone**_

_**But though you're still with me**_

**_I've been alone all along_**

Then, for the first and last time, Hinamori was allowed to see some of her better memories for a brief instant.

They were of her and a white haired boy. She knew he was very close to her, all the time they had spent together was flashing right before her eyes. _But I can't remember his name._ She thought. _What's his name? I _know _it! What is it?_ She raked her thoughts for an answer but all that came out was her voice calling out. _"Aizen taichou…Aizen taichou…" _

But then it suddenly changed. _"Aizen taich…o…To…Toshiro…Toshiro…Toshiro!" _

Something snapped in the back of her mind. _Toshiro. That was his name. _She finally remembered.

Then, she saw all of the times they had spent together all at once. First were their younger days together, then when they were older and had been in the Academy together, and then it was very recent occurrences with him. In every memory, she called out his name. _"Shiro-chan!…Toshiro!…Hitsugaya-kun!" _It changed as they did, and as they got older.

Suddenly, she realized what her thoughts were trying to tell her.

She was _not _alone.

And she was _not_ to forget that.

She sighed as she finally comprehended the message, and then, all of the good memories faded away into black.

_**When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears**_

_**When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears**_

_**And I've held your hand through all of these years**_

**_But you still have, all of me…_**

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**A/N: SO SORRY! That chapter took so long to get up and it wasn't even good! DX Nothing happened! I'm sorry if it was confusing and boring! Spare me! I'll try to write ch35 soon so I can post 21!**

**Next chapter, I'll Attack:**

"…just promise you'll be right behind me all of the way."

"I promise."

_Back then, it was merely a small promise, but now it was something much more. In those two words, he had vowed to always be there for her, no matter what, and he had failed._

**Please review? ....Please?**


	21. I'll Attack

**XD Once more sorry for the wait! I'm getting there you guys! Almost finished and then you can have all the chapters you want! I'll try to be quicker, promise!! (I drew out this battle cause we all know Hitsugaya would never go down so easily as they made it look in the anime. Also I added some dialogue of my own but most of it is right from the subs). This chapter is dedicated to my friend 77TheSims377 who rants about HitsuHina with me all the time on YouTube! :3 Enjoy everyone!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach :,C Songfic song by 30 Seconds to Mars.**

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Chapter 21. I'll Attack.

Words cannot describe how fast Hitsugaya ran.

He knew that he must get back to Central 46; if what Izuru had said was true, she should still be there.

"Hinamori!" His face was twisted into a fierce snarl. _You'd _better_ be alright…_ He was not going to let his best friend get hurt, it would only tear him into pieces and her as well.

He ran and ran, thinking that the run back to Central 46 was much longer than the run from it. After chasing Izuru, he was starting to get tired, for now he was running at top speed, but he did not slow his pace. He kept going and going, ignoring the petty pain in his limbs. He had never hesitated to jump in to keep Hinamori out of danger before, and he was not going to be stopped now.

"…_Shiro-chan, just promise you'll be right behind me all of the way." _

"_I Promise." _

He was not going to break his promise that he would always be there for her. He was not about to break that promise; he would keep it from the beginning of his life to its end. No matter what.

Now, as he ran, he felt rage swell inside of him, an intense emotion that was not let out full force like this before. It was as if he had been bound and now he was free. Free to kill whoever was putting Hinamori in danger and putting this uncomfortable flittering in his stomach. Deep down something told him that something had happened to her, something bad. But _how _bad, he did not know. Nonetheless, no matter how inconvenient, if _anything_ ever happened to her, he would let loose his wrath. He was like a wild beast that had been captured and held back, but now he had broken free and was able to do what he pleased.

And what he pleased to do was find Aizen's murderer and the person who was targeting Hinamori, and kill them.

**_I won't suffer, be broken_**

**_Get tired, or wasted_**

**_Surrender to nothing_**

**_I'll give up what I _**

**_Started _**

**_And stop this _**

**_From end to beginning_**

**_A new day is coming _**

**_And I am finally free_**

Hitsugaya ran through the Central 46's meeting room and finally came to a room that every Shinigami, except the members themselves, were not allowed to enter.

He had never been here before and he knew that he was not supposed to be, but something just drew his feet in this direction and led him that way. With his sharp ears, he heard footsteps up ahead, and rushed into a large room, the same one Ichimaru had led a lieutenant not too long ago. He panted as he looked up the small staircase that led to a platform and then another room. He saw two people but he could not believe his eyes.

"Howdy, Hitsugaya-kun." One man said casually.

"Aizen?!" Hitsugaya's eyes widened as he stared at the man who was supposed to be dead and the captain of Squad 3. "What the…" He could not believe that Aizen was still alive, which meant that his thoughts had been true. Aizen was not dead, and Hinamori was in danger. "Are you really Aizen?" He asked disbelievingly, his eyes flashing to Gin's face for a second before they returned back to the 5th division captain.

"Of course." He sounded somewhat impatient. "As you can see, I'm the real thing. Although," He said, turning to his left to face Ichimaru. "Your return was much earlier than expected, Hitsugaya taichou." He was smiling at the man beside him, but his voice was filled with obvious sarcasm and slight annoyance. It was a smile that silently shouted 'Why is he back so early, Gin?'.

"Sumimasen." Ichimaru replied coolly, in his serpent-like voice. "Seems like Izuru's diversion wasn't good 'nough." He did not sound sorry at all.

"What… What the Hell are the two of you talking about?!" Hitsugaya demanded. Fury rose inside of him now, for he had known that the two of them were up to no good. The panic was at its fullest as he thought about Hinamori. She had followed him into this place, but she had not followed him out.

" 'What are we talking about?' Just some strategy." Answered Aizen, turning back to face his uninvited guest. "Division of the enemy's forces is the first step of battle strategy, isn't it?" He asked smugly, a treacherous gleam in his eye.

"Enemy?!" Hitsugaya echoed. Suddenly everything snapped into place and he glanced around from right to left, the panic mixing with fear and dismay. "_Where is Hinamori?!"_ He growled threateningly, glaring up at the two with all of the hatred in the universe.

"Well, where could she be…" There was a taunt in Aizen's voice and in his eyes there was the satisfaction of accomplishing something that amused him. He was gloating.

Three second ticked by before Hitsugaya's eyes tripled in size and he gasped with realization. He dashed up the stairs and flew in between the two in a move that was so quick it did not exist and he disappeared for a second in time. He rushed through the doorway behind them but then stopped dead.

He stared down in complete horror.

"Hina…mori…"

His mind denied what his eyes saw and feelings of indescribable loss, guilt, and shock. Her eyes were still open, but they were glazed over as if there was a dark curtain concealing them as she stared into something she could not see. Her mouth was parted in a silent gasp that would never be heard and a fresh trail of blood had found its way out of her body through her mouth. She was lying in a pool of her own blood that was fresh and just recently spilt.

Which meant that he had only missed preventing this by mere moments.

"Too bad. You found her." Hitsugaya could here the taunting smile in Aizen's voice. "Sumanai ne. I didn't mean to startle you." Hitsugaya was silent. "I suppose," Aizen went on, enjoying the game. "I should have at least ground her to dust so you wouldn't find her."

The 10th division captain was silent, still staring blankly down at his friend. Aizen's words infuriated him and he wanted to spin around and kill him then and there. But he could not take his eyes off of her. He clenched his fist so hard his skin made a squeezing sound. He _was_ going to turn around and attack, but not yet. He still had a few more questions.

But when he had finished and gotten his answers, Hitsugaya only knew one thing; Aizen had better watch out and run.

_**Run away, run away**_

_**I'll attack**_

_**Run away, run away**_

_**Go chase yourself**_

_**Run away, run away**_

_**Now I'll attack **_

_**I'll attack, I'll attack**_

"Aizen…Ichimaru… Since when were you accomplices? Since before you faked your death?" He asked darkly.

"From the beginning, of course." Aizen answered, smiling in his victory. "Since I became taichou, I never once considered anyone but him my fukuutaichou."

"So then, up until now," the white-haired boy was trembling with rage. "Hinamori," he choked out her name. "Me, your subordinates, every other Shinigami, everyone…" The memories flashed through his head before the fury exploded as he whipped around. "_You've been deceiving us all?!"_ He roared.

"I never intended to deceive." The other captain replied calmly. "It's just… that not one of you could comprehend… my true nature." He gave a wicked smile.

"Didn't comprehend…" The boy repeated. "Hinamori…Hinamori looked up to you, and joined the Gotei 13 just to be closer to you." He remembered when that one afternoon she came to him hugging a shihakushou and she had cheerily explained that she was now an official member of Aizen's squad. "She seriously worked herself to death so she could be useful to you…and finally became your fukuutaichou!" He remembered seeing her training and he had seen all the injures she had received from it.

"I know." Aisen sounded happy, like he was expecting praise. "There's no one so easy to control as someone who admires you. That's why I pressed to have her as my subordinate." Hitsugaya's aqua eyes widened at his words and his mouth fell open. _He had _wanted _her as his subordinate so he could use her for his own plans, to turn her against me and try to make us kill each other. He was plotting all this from the start…_ "This is a good opportunity," the older man went on. "There's something you should remember, Hitsugaya-kun. Admiration is the emotion farthest from comprehension."

That was it.

Hitsugaya had his answers. Now it was time to avenge Hinamori.

The anger burst as he gripped his sword's hilt and drew the blade. A bright, shining blue-white light covered the room for an instant and fog erupted as the deceiving captains leapt back, smiling. It was all working out perfectly. Soon they would get rid of this nuisance as well.

"BanKai!" Hitsugaya growled. The fog immediately disappeared as chunks of ice formed two great wings and a long, deadly tail. "Daiguren Hyorinmaru!" An insanely powerful reiatsu pulsed from the ice. Suddenly the entire area was covered in purple-blue ice, daggers sticking out and pointed in all directions.

Hitsugaya raised his sword and pointed the tip of the blade at Aizen, the dragon's head moving with his arm. "Aizen." His voice was warped slightly, it rumbled as if the dragon itself had merged with the boy and he was using its voice to speak. "It may not be right now, and it may not be the next time we meet," he knew that Aizen could escape him, but he was going to do everything possible to prevent that. "But no matter how long it takes, no matter what you do or where you go, I promise you this, you will be stopped, and you won't get away with this."

He thought of Hinamori lying on the floor behind him. He remembered what they had been through together and suffered alone. He had admitted his feelings for her to himself a long time ago, but now that was all over. He had seen her wounds, he had seen the blood, he had seen that she had not been breathing, and he had seen the way her eyes stared blankly into the distance.

Everything they had, it was all over now.

And it was all because of _him_. He had been plotting this all along, but in one simple movement, the thrust of his sword, Aizen had taken away everything Hitsugaya lived for. Too fast, and too soon she had left him, and he would never forgive this man for that.

Now, Hitsugaya's anger swelled with a new rage. He knew the truth now; Aizen had everybody fooled. Now that Hinamori was dead, he realized just how much he needed her, and just how much he burned with hatred at simply thinking about Aizen. He was loosing his self control to fury and hatred. Now that Hinamori was gone, he could finally see just how badly he wanted to kill Aizen.

He flapped his mighty wings, and with a roar full of wrath, he charged forward.

**_I would have kept you forever_**

_**But we had to sever**_

_**It ended for both of us**_

_**Faster than a…**_

_**Kill off this thinking**_

_**It's starting to sink in**_

_**I'm losing control now**_

_**But without you I can finally see**_

Aizen was caught off guard by Hitsugaya's sheer, impossible speed.

He just barely managed to dodge at the last second by using shunpou. The sharp tip slashed the air where he had been standing less than a second before.

"Well, well," Aizen appeared behind his opponent, shaking his head from side to side mockingly. "It seems we've gone and mad him mad, Gin." He glanced at his true lieutenant.

"That ain't no good." Gin frowned for an instant. Then he reached for his sheath and gripped the hilt of his small, dagger-like sword, ready to attack when Aizen gave the order. But the brown haired man raised his hand, signaling for Ichimaru to keep his Zanpakutou in its sheath and stay where he was.

"No, Ichimaru, I'll handle this." He drew his own sword instead and turned to face Hitsugaya. The white haired boy contemplated whether he should attack the mastermind himself first, or first take care of his bothersome follower. But he did not even hesitate to think once the former Squad 5 captain had drawn his sword. He spun around to face him, stretching his long, frozen tail out to try and swipe at him. Aizen simply raised his sword and as the ice came flying at him, the blade sliced right through it. Hitsugaya gasped in disbelief, but quickly concentrated on gathering the moisture from the ice around him. Several blocks of it melted into water and reformed on the edge of his tail.

"Damn it!" The 10th Squad captain cursed. But he wasted little time in moving his large wings and he was floating in the air above them within seconds. Without hesitating, he plunged downward and folded his wings, diving like a falcon. He flew past Aizen at first; his plan was to make Aizen think that he was so enraged that he had lost all sense of coordination. However, he did purposely graze his wingtip against Aizen's shoulder as he brushed past him.

But his enemy only smirked and did not even turn around. Hitsugaya was utterly baffled to see that there was no blood, not even a tear in his haori. He growled in frustration and then flew at his adversary from behind. But the former captain disappeared in the blink of an eye, or faster. Hitsugaya unfurled his wings and beat them in long strokes to stop himself. He turned back around but Aizen was in front of him now, standing only about 5 feet away from Ichimaru.

"Come now, Hitsugaya-kun, you'll have to do much better than _that _if you hope to land a blow." He smiled tauntingly, daring Hitsugaya to come at him again. Gin's grin widened too, snorting a silent scoff at the young boy. Hitsugaya took their bait and threw himself forward at them, aiming mainly at Aizen. But both of the former captains dodged.

"Damn you bastards!" He snarled, shaking his head from side to side, searching for them. "Aizen! Stop running dammit! Come out and fight me!" He bellowed, his voice echoing and bouncing back at him from the walls. He would not be surprised if they could hear him shouting from the execution grounds, but he did not care. He would gladly welcome any help that was offered to him, yet he wanted to finished Aizen off himself. He told his enemies to stand and fight him, but again Hitsugaya found himself _wishing _that they would run.

He wanted _some _form of a fight at the very least.

**_Run away, run away_**

_**I'll attack**_

_**Run away, run away**_

_**Go chase yourself**_

_**Run away, run away**_

_**Now I'll attack**_

_**Ill attack, I'll attack**_

"Now, now, there's no need for such language." Aizen's voice was heard behind Hitsugaya, and he turned again to face him.

"Don't give me that!" Hitsugaya bawled, his eyes narrowing dangerously into slits. Then he charged forward again, his wings pounding against the cold air and his tail streaming out behind him. This time, the older Shinigami held his position and raised his sword. He expected Hitsugaya to attack head on, using his sword, but at the last second, the boy twisted around and let his powerful tail swish through the air. His rival disappeared again, using shunpou to re-appear in front of him.

But the white haired boy was just getting started, he was not tired or tiring anymore. He continued the twist he had started and sent his tail at Aizen again. This time however, the other captain raise his sword, intending to sever the weapon once again.

Hitsugaya smirked; he fell for it.

Once the ice and the blade connected, his foe smiled smugly. As it did before, the ice shattered and broke away, but then Hitsugaya aimed the small blades at Aizen. Yet the icicles whizzed past Aizen as if there were a barrier around him. "Impossible!" Hitsugaya shouted. Aizen just grinned.

"Much better, that was clever, but not clever enough." With that he had disappeared again.

"Aizen…" He spat the name as though it were a curse. "What happened, Aizen? What happened to the honest, respectful person we all used to know? All the promises you made and kept, all the things you did to help us…" He trailed off, biting his lip so it began to bleed.

"You foolish child, that person was nothing but an illusion." Aizen sneered, appearing to the right. "He never once existed. You were all just stupid enough to believe he did."

Once again, the boy remembered the past. _"…just promise you'll be right behind me all of the way." _

_"I promise." _

Back then, it was merely a small promise, but now it was something much more. In those two words, he had vowed to always be there for her, no matter what, and he had failed.

The unwavering rage returned, now he was furious at Aizen and himself, and he felt as though a demon had been released as he flew forward.

It was as if the gates of Hell had been raised to unleash some vast wrath.

_**Your promises**_

_**They look like lies**_

_**Your honesty's **_

_**Like a back that hides a knife**_

_**I promise you...**_

_**I promise you...**_

_**I am finally free**_

Aizen dodged again, and now Hitsugaya was getting agitated.

His wings were beginning to chip and his tail was thinning out. He melted the ice around the room into his frozen body, regenerating it.

When he spotted Aizen next he was standing closer to the small staircase that led to the room where Hinamori had been slain.

A new emotion overcame the aqua-eyed boy as he saw his opponent's position. A ferocious urge to protect flooded through him, even though it was too late to protect her now. Nonetheless, he did not want _anyone_, _especially _not Aizen even _looking _at her.

Again he threw himself forward and the techniques began to become repetitive. Each time Hitsugaya charged, Aizen would dodge and re-appear somewhere else and the process would replay like there was a rewind button. Each attack from the start of the fight was very swift and took only seconds.

Soon, Hitsugaya was getting fed up and exasperated even though his foe seemed calm and relaxed. Still, he found himself wanting the battle to go on. He liked it when Aizen ran and dodged, for then he got to experience the thrill of the chase. It was like a game of predator and prey.

But he did not want it to end _too_ fast, after all he wanted to enjoy his victory.

_**Run away, run away**_

_**I'll attack **_

_**Run away, run away**_

_**Go chase yourself**_

_**Run away, run away**_

_**Now I'll attack**_

_**I'll attack I'll attack**_

_**I will attack**_

Hitsugaya stopped to catch his breath for a moment.

The next time he looked up though, he saw the 5th division's treacherous captain smiling past him in satisfaction. Warily, and keeping one eye on Aizen, Hitsugaya turned to look at what amused him so much.

His eyes widened as he realized that 5 of the 12 flower petals had dissolved and disappeared. He could always obtain more power from the waterways and sewers around Seireitei, but Hitsugaya only had one weakness; after the last petal was gone, it took a while to regenerate themselves and reform. During which time he would have only a fraction of his current power. He was so focused on the battle that he had not noticed them disintegrating.

"Damn it all!" Hitsugaya cursed, turning back to Aizen. The captain opposite him looked as though he were enjoying himself, and for a brief moment, anger washed over him again as he thought that Aizen was holding back on him.

Hitsugaya's mind suddenly recalled one time, long ago when they were still young, before they had encountered the Hollow and become Shinigami.

_"Momo-chan?" Hitsugaya asked her, prodding her arm. _

_"Hai?" She replied, turning to him. _

_He remember the words his grandmother always told him. _

_"Do you love me?" _

_She blinked at him. __"Of course I do Shiro-chan! You're my best friend! I promise I'll always love you!" _

At the time they had been young and not fully understood the concepts of love. But now Hitsugaya found himself wishing that Hinamori would repeat those words to him again, and mean them. But he was asking too much; she was dead.

_I promise I'll avenge you, Hinamori. I'll make things right again. I promise…_

It seemed he had made those silent promises many times before, but he had to keep reminding himself to keep them.

_**Your promises**_

_**I promise you...**_

_**

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**_

**A/N: Wow! Good thing I revised that! Losta mistakes...**

**Next chapter, Breaking The Habit:**

_"Why Aizen?! Why _her_?!" He spat, enraged..._

_"Because, I had no more use for her..."_

_"You didn't have to _kill_ her!"_

_"I suppose I didn't."_

_"THEN WHY DID YOU?!"_

_"Because I wanted to."_

**Please review!!**


	22. Breaking The Habit

**This one was a bit faster, neh? Please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Bleach. Songfic song by Linkin Park**

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Chapter 22. Breaking The Habit

The memories came back to Hitsugaya in a rush, but he had to push them away and focus on his battle.

The attacks repeated again and again and Hitsugaya was now terribly aware of each time when a petal would disappear, it just reminded him of how little time he had to defeat Aizen.

As he raced forward again and extended his right arm and his Zanpakutou, he felt as though his wings would give at any minute now. He only started to feel their weight and the weight of the dragon's head and tail whenever he was weakening.

By now, the white haired captain was covered in wounds inflicted by Aizen's blade. Blood trickled from his right arm and over the blue ice there, matching the scarlet color of the dragon's eyes. As he flipped around and tried to land a blow by using his wings, Aizen dodged again. Once Hitsugaya straightened up, he felt his 11th petal burst into small purple particles. "Damn!" Hitsugaya hissed.

Aizen saw him weakening physically and was waiting for the last petal to disappear to strike. He was intent on killing this boy, for he too had been a pawn, like his lieutenant. And, like her, he had no more use for him, and he needed to be disposed of as well. But he knew that the time period after the last petal melted away, Hitsugaya would most likely fight using his ShiKai or just his Zanpakutou. But Aizen knew one thing, that this whole procedure was getting boring, bothersome and very time-consuming. He wanted to get ride of him before he had a chance to regain his abilities and then his power would be raw again. Aizen knew that even if this did happen, he would still win, but it would take up far too much time, and he was not sure if he would be able to kill the other captain off if more enemies showed up.

But no matter what happened, he would surely win in the end.

_**Memories consume **_

_**Like opening the wound**_

_**I'm picking me apart again**_

_**You all assume**_

_**I'm safe here in my room**_

_**Unless I try to start again**_

Finally, after one more strike, the 12th petal disappeared.

Hitsugaya's rage began to fade into fear, but then doubled with fury. Hyorinmaru slowly began to melt away and Aizen looked on and witnessed the scene with satisfaction. Soon, the mighty dragon was gone and there was no proof left of his ever being there except for the small amount of ice that still remained on the platform.

Hitsugaya glowered at Aizen; he hated letting the enemy see him like this. But automatically, he raised his sword and ran at Aizen. The two blades collided and there was an earsplitting screech of metal scraping metal, but neither side flinched nor gave in. Hitsugaya pushed forward, trying to back Aizen against a wall, or to knock the blade from his hands. However, neither happened, and instead, Aizen pushed _him_ backwards across the room.

Hitsugaya found his footing and kept his balance, glaring at the other captain with pure hatred. "Why?!" He shouted, breaking the quick moment of silence. "Why, Aizen?! Why _her_?!" He spat, enraged, but he did not move.

"My, my," the 5th division's past captain smirked. "Such rudeness."

"ANSWER ME!" Hitsugaya demanded.

" _Because,_" Aizen replied impatiently. "I had no more use for her. Although she _did _play a big part in my plans, but she was just so bothersome." He sighed.

"You didn't have to _kill_ her!" Hitsugaya hollered.

"I supposed I didn't," Aizen looked thoughtful for a moment.

"THEN WHY _DID_ YOU?!" He exploded.

"Because I wanted to." Was the cool reply. Hitsugaya was taken aback. _What? _That's _why? Because he _wanted _to?!_

"I hadn't killed in quite some time." Aizen continued, but Hitsugaya cut him off.

"YOU SLAUGHTERED CENTRAL 46-"

"Yes, but that seemed like ages ago." He leered. "I needed to smell fresh blood. And besides, I had planned on doing it. It was just so enjoyable to watch her come to me and break down crying like I was the person she thought I was. Though I must admit it _was _quite annoying after a while, I had to talk to her and pretend to comfort her, but it was definitely worth it. You should have seen the look on her face when my sword cut into her. Pitiful. She was weak, and I did us all a favor in killing the little nuisance." He finished.

One second after he had finished, Hitsugaya was in front of him, slashing wildly like a mad creature. He did not want to lose now, he _could not _lose now, after hearing that. He had no idea how he was going to win, but he was going to have to find some way. He had seen many great warriors go down in battle against enemies before, even though they rightfully should have been victorious. It does not matter who is the good person or the one fighting for justice or honor, it all depends on who plays dirty and is the most cunning and treacherous. Even if they fight for all the right reasons, they still may end up losing, the battle chooses the winner, not the skill and the determination.

No matter how hard you try, you still have a fair chance of failing, but Hitsugaya was intent on winning anyway; he _had _to.

_**I don't want to be the one**_

_**The battles always choose**_

_**Cause inside I realize**_

_**That I'm the one confused **_

As he was forced away again, Hitsugaya's rage was suddenly overcome by suspicion.

He just noticed that something was wrong…

Then, he realized what it was with a jolt; Ichimaru was gone. _Damn it! How couldn't I have noticed that earlier?_ He thought angrily to himself; it was unfair to have two opponents. _Where did he go? Did Aizen send him somewhere? Could he be getting reinforcements? _Thoughts and questions buzzed in his head as he glanced around the room, frustrated. The 5th Squad's captain seemed to notice his confusion and grinned.

"Ah, I see you've noticed. Where _is _Gin?" He asked, acting like he did not know the answer.

Most likely on cue, the silver haired captain appeared inside the room where Hinamori's body lay. Hitsugaya was standing with a clear view and watched in horror as he glided around and finally came to a halt, hovering over her crumpled form. Hitsugaya had wanted to keep the two of them away from her at all costs. Gin stood still for a moment, staring down at her body as if examining it. Hitsugaya tried to run forward, but Aizen blocked his path.

"Ichimaru! What are you doing, dammit?!" Hitsugaya yowled. The other taichou did not reply, pretending that he had not heard. Hitsugaya could see him past Aizen as he circled Hinamori's bloody shape like a vulture. Finally, he stopped again and knelt down next to her. Then after a moment, he stood again.

"Uh-oh." He smiled evilly. "Seems like we got ourselves a problem, Aizen Taichou." He looked up at the other captain who turned to face him. "She's still breathin'." He reported.

Hitsugaya froze. _What?!_ He felt relief, fear, shock and grief crash over him all at once.

"That's no good." Aizen frowned. "We'll have to fix that." He flashed a smug glance at Hitsugaya. "Kill her, Gin."

"Hai, Aizen Taichou."

_**I don't know what's worth fighting for**_

_**Or why I have to scream**_

_**I don't know why I instigate**_

_**And say what I don't mean**_

_**I don't know how I got this way**_

_**I know it's not all right**_

_**So I'm breaking the habit**_

_**I'm breaking the habit tonight**_

Hitsugaya pushed past Aizen and pelted across the room.

"ICHIMARU!!" He roared, his voice echoing around the room several times; it probably would have deafened a human.

He leapt up the stairs as if they were not there at all and was upon Ichimaru at once. His sword slashed the air and Ichimaru just barely dodged, a piece of his haori drifting to the ground. Gin drew his Zanpakutou as well, and appeared standing off to the side.

"How annoyin'." He complained, frowning. Hitsugaya glared at him and lunged forward again. Ichimaru sidestepped to his left and sliced open his opponent's right arm in the process. Hitsugaya howled with agony and he fell to the floor. He pushed himself up using his left arm, and glanced up to see Ichimaru standing over Hinamori again; there was even more blood around her than before. "I don't understan'. Why d'ya care so much fer _this _little thing?" He sneered.

Hitsugaya's stomach lurched and twisted as he saw Ichimaru's foot smash into Hinamori's limp body. She rolled over twice and lay on her side again, even more blood spilling from her broken body. All of his pain was gone as Hitsugaya stood up and dashed forward, swinging his sword in fury. Their blades met and small red sparks flew through the air.

"DAMN YOU!!" Hitsugaya spat. Ichimaru jut grinned and pushed him backwards. Hitsugaya slipped on Hinamori's blood but jumped away before he could fall. Now as he fought, he constantly had one eye on his friend who was supposedly still alive.

Suddenly, Gin disappeared. Hitsugaya turned around sharply; searching for Hinamori, and thankfully, Gin was not there, ready to kill her. "SHOW YOURSELVES! YOU COWARDS!" Hitsugaya shouted. But no response came. He looked around outside the room as well, but both of them had disappeared; for the moment at least.

Hitsugaya found himself turning around hopefully, looking down at his friend.

He prayed that Gin had not been fibbing, for if she was alive, that would give him reason to fight on. He wanted to hear her laugh again, see her smile and _so_ much more. She was like an antidote to a sickness for him, a cure.

It seemed that he would get a moment to rest for somehow; he knew that his enemies would be back very soon. Pain stabbed through him as he saw just how much blood there was on the floor, and that only a few drops of it were his. Seeing her like this hurt him deeply. He had seen her wounded before, both emotionally and physically and he himself had even injured her not too long ago in their quarrel.

He realized that Aizen must have devised that too, and he cursed the old captain of Squad 5. _I won't loose this battle._ He told himself, even though he knew fairly well that many good and pure-hearted people had perished unjustly in battle, even though they fought to protect and defend righteousness.

He would try his best, give his all, and pray that the battle would choose him to be victorious.

He had to win; it was the only option.

_**Clutching my cure**_

_**I tightly lock the door**_

_**I try to catch my breath again**_

_**I hurt much more**_

_**Than any time before**_

_**I have no options left again**_

_**I don't want to be the one**_

_**The battles always choose**_

_**Cause inside I realize**_

_**That I'm the one confused**_

He knelt down next to her motionless body.

His stomach flipped over when he saw blood still flowing from her wound.

The only thing eh could think to do was freeze it over, so what precious little amount of blood remained in her body stayed there. But first he wanted to be sure…

He stared down at her body, and he soon realized that Gin _had_ been fibbing; she was not breathing.

Hitsugaya felt a fresh wave of emotion overcome him as he stared at her broken body. "Hinamori…" He placed a hand on her cheek; her skin was still a bit warm, but was much colder than any normal person's; far too cold. He knew that the only thing left to do was avenge her now.

So he froze over his own wound on his arm to stop the bleeding. He was about to stand up again, but something invisible seemed to pull him and made him stay there. He simply could not bear to see all that blood, and still flowing from her body, so he froze over her wound, so it ceased.

It was painful just watching her bleed, even though she felt no pain anymore.

Then he stood up and with his sword in his hand, walked out of the room and onto the platform. He thought of leaving to find backup, but before he could move, Ichimaru and Aizen were back in the room in a flash.

"Sumanai." Aizen apologized. "We just had to go and check on something. It seems we will be getting some visitors soon. Let's finish this quickly, shall we?" With that he used shunpou and was right in front of the white haired boy. He blocked the other sword with his own and suddenly, Hitsugaya felt his strength and power returning to him.

With a smirk he grabbed the hidden chain that was attached to the hilt of his sword that he obtained in ShiKai. He threw the chain and the crescent shaped blade sliced trough the air. The chain coiled around Aizen's blade, and Hitsugaya pulled, trying to rip the sword from his grasp. But suddenly Aizen and his Zanpakutou were both gone.

Hitsugaya curse and glanced around wildly, also keeping an eye the bloody room where Hinamori was murdered. He whipped around just in time to block Aizen's sword a second time. Hitsugaya was getting more power back now, and Aizen knew that if he did not finish him off soon, and backup came, he might be in a bit of a mess.

Hitsugaya wanted to use his BanKai again, but he wanted to wait until he was at total maximum power first.

Usually, he had a habit of sparing his enemies, letting them live to repent and get information from them; but not this time.

_**I don't know what's worth fighting for **_

_**Or why I have to scream **_

_**I don't why I instigate **_

_**And say what I don't mean **_

_**I don't know how I got this way**_

_**I'll never be all right**_

_**So I'm breaking the habit**_

_**I'm breaking the habit tonight**_

Hitsugaya gritted his teeth as Aizen escaped again and again.

Finally he decided to use some of his stored power. "Thousand year ice prison!" He howled. He gathered the moisture in the air, and the small particles stuck together to form hard, compact ice pillars. He positioned his sword and with a roar of fury, sent them flying at his foe. The large blue pillars formed a cage around the brown haired man, who stood with a look of annoyance on his face.

"Enough play time." He growled. With a single swing of his sword, all of the pillars cracked and fell to the ground, shattering and sending sharp splinters in all directions. Hitsugaya jumped back to avoid them but Aizen stayed where he was as the small blades bounced past him.

"That's impossible!" Hitsugaya shouted again. This was the second time Aizen had defeated one of his best attacks. The only one he had left and was willing to use at the time was the Dragon Hail Flower, but before he could use it, Aizen was slashing at him again.

"Let's end this, Hitsugaya-kun, once and for all." He tried to back the younger boy against the wall, but Hitsugaya refused to give an inch.

Then he heard a snicker behind him and whipped around to Ichimaru coming at him from behind. Aizen had given him an unseen signal to attack from behind.

"Damn it! Is this any way to fight? You coward!" He spat; pushing Aizen's blade away and turning to deal with Gin's.

"Gomen Hitsugaya-kun, but we have no time for 'honorable' fights and all that nonsense. A battle is a battle, it doesn't matter how it's won."

Hitsugaya surged with a new, unknown strength as he deflected Ichimaru's attacks and parried Aizen's as well. There was a new wound on his right shoulder, but it was not much more than a scratch to the strong prodigy. Hitsugaya knew that he was going down unless he released his BanKai or those reinforcements ever came. But he had no time to summon his power.

He jumped away and dodged constantly, twisting from side to side as he tried to buy time. Even if he did go down, he was going to let the rest of Soul Society know whom the people behind these schemes were; he would paint the walls in their blood, as evidence. Surely _someone_ would be able to identify whose Zanpakutou matched his and Hinamori's wounds? No matter what, the other Shinigami would know who did this, even though he was thought to be dead.

In his last moments, Hitsugaya would write it in his own blood if he had too.

Anything to let them know who it was so they could find him, kill him, and avenge Hitsugaya's best friend for him.

_**I'll paint it on the walls**_

_**Cause I'm the one at fault **_

_**I'll never fight again**_

_**And this is how it ends**_

Finally, there came an instant, no longer than a heartbeat, when Hitsugaya had no opponents to deal with.

He eagerly ceased the opportunity.

"BanKai!" He shouted again. As he drew his sword, the blue mist engulfed the room once again as Ichimaru and Aizen jumped back. Hitsugaya was going to swipe that vanity they had away from them like a tiger swiping a gnat. "Daiguren Hyorinmaru!" He called forth the mighty ice dragon for the second time during that battle.

Aizen flash-stepped out of the way of the long tail as it slithered around the room, searching for its targets. Hitsugaya watched him and his aqua eyes followed him as he landed on the white haired boy's other side. Ichimaru was about ten feet away, avoiding the slippery ice that was reforming from the moisture in the air.

Just then, Unohana and her lieutenant Isane raced into the room, and stopped short when they witnessed the scene before them. Hitsugaya was barely aware of their presence; they were far too late to help now. He was finishing this fight himself.

_Well, _he thought. _At least they know the truth and can carry on the message to the rest of the Shinigami._

Something deep down inside him told him that the members of Squad 4 would be the only ones who would be making it out of this room alive. Aizen and Ichimaru were dying here; he would make sure of it. As long as that happened, Hitsugaya did not mind if he went down as well. "Aizen, I'm going to kill you." He vowed, glaring with furious and pure hatred at the man before him.

The man's mouth stretched into a wide grin.

"Don't use overly strong words." He sneered. This was it, his chance to kill this nuisance who interrupted his plans. "It'll make you look weak."

Then, there was a noise that sounded of shattering glass as the ice beneath Hitsugaya's feet split into shards. With a howl with the ferocity of thousands of wild beasts, Hitsugaya took flight and pelted through the air, straight at Aizen. The speed that his wings allowed him to obtain was so fast it was impossible.

Before anyone knew what had happened, Hyorinmaru's blade was thrust through Aizen's chest.

Hitsugaya felt a wave of shock. Had he really defeated Aizen so easily now when it had taken so long before? He guessed that his fury gave him new abilities, or perhaps his BanKai was stronger the second time it was used. Ice formed around Aizen's body like a cocoon.

But as Hitsugaya looked at the face inside the ice, it smirked. Hitsugaya gasped, how could he still be alive?

Suddenly, he felt a sharp, intense pain in his right shoulder.

"What…" His jaw dropped as Aizen appeared behind him. Then, the pain swelled, and with an agonizing pang, the skin on his shoulder burst apart and the blood spattered freely into the air. His arms dropped to his sides as the mighty wings behind him cracked and shattered like a mirror struck by a stone and broke apart. His blood mixed with the ice as it fell to the ground, the pure, sparkling crystal tainted and stained with scarlet. "That's…impossible…" Hitsugaya's mind was echoing with all sorts of questions and words.

Then, it all went blank as he staggered. His ears barely caught Aizen's words.

"What a nice view." Hitsugaya's weight suddenly felt too great for his feet, his balance diminishing at a fascinatingly quick rate.

Then, he fell forward. Hitsugaya's body crashed down onto the ice below him, small splinters dancing around him and bounded away, disintegrating into nothing.

"It's not the season but…" The boy prodigy's ears wear blocked by warm, sticky blood. "Seeing ice this time of year isn't bad."

**_I don't know what's worth fighting for _**

**_Or why I have to scream _**

**_But now I have some clarity _**

**_To show you what I mean _**

**_I don't know how I got this way _**

**_I'll never be all right _**

**_So I'm breaking a habit _**

**_I'm breaking the habit_**

Hitsugaya was only vaguely aware of the conversation going on between the captains of Squad's 4 and 5.

The smell of blood was overwhelming, a rusty, tang like rain and salt.

_D…Damn it!_ He snarled in his mind. _I…I lost…Hinamori…please…forgive me…I…broke my promise…_

His last thoughts where of his childhood friend, who had become _so _much more than just that. He did not know if he would live, it sure did not feel like he would. But then again, the captain and lieutenant of the 4th division were here now maybe he could be saved. But then, he almost wished that they would not save him, and just leave him there to die, so he could be with the one he cared for.

His thoughts clouded over and he heard no more, and the scent of blood became fainter. His eyes were sightless and his body was numb.

Then, he cursed silently as his mind finally went black.

He had used to have a good habit of winning battles.

_**I'm breaking the habit…tonight. **_

_**

* * *

**_

**A/N: OMG Hitsugaya-kuun! Also, so sorry! I knew there were probably a lot of grammar errors, huh? As soon as I finished revising it, it didn't save so I had to revise it ALL over again, so I know I missed some stuff. Please point them out if you can so I can fix them! **

_**Next chapter, Hanging By A Moment:**_

_"It seems you have been under the impression that she has departed from this world."_

_"Yes. I assume that she's dead." He forced the words out, Unohana's small smile grew a bit._

_"Well then, I am pleased to be the one to tell you that she is still with us...but just barely..."_

**Please review!!**


	23. Hanging By A Moment

**Once more thank you all so much for your patience!! Please enjoy!!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach :( Songfic song by Lifehouse.**

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Chapter 23. Hanging By A Moment

Hitsugaya was vaguely aware of a throbbing sensation pulsing through his body.

His stomach ached, but the pain that he had felt before was almost completely gone.

He blinked his eyes open and found himself staring up at a white ceiling. The air smelt of calming medicine, rather than sickening blood.

Confusion came over him as he tried to recall what had happened, and why he was here. But suddenly, the entire battle came back to him and his eyes widened. What had happened between Unohana and the two other captains? Where were Aizen and Ichimaru now?

But more importantly…

Hitsugaya ceased thinking about anything else as he remembered kneeling down next to Hinamori's lifeless body. A strange, melancholy emotion filled his chest as he thought about his best friend. _Was the funeral already held? _He thought with agonizingly miserable sadness.

A new hatred of pure loathing and detestation for the former 5th Squad captain overcame him, and he pushed himself into a sitting position. There was a small, uncomfortable feeling in his body as he did so, but he ignored it.

He slid from under the white sheets and made his way across the small hospital room. Judging from the sunlight that came in through the windows, it was probably about noontime. He pushed the door open and looked down the deserted hallway. But then, he felt the reiatsu of just the person he wanted to speak to.

Unohana was walking calmly down the hall, and when she spotted him, her eyes widened, but then she became grave. "Hitsugaya taichou." She spoke as soon as she had reached him. "I am glad to see that you are awake and well, but there are some very important issues I must discuss with you."

"I also have a few things I would like to speak to you about." Hitsugaya nodded.

He was going to find out the truth, about everything.

And now that he recalled the memories, he found that he was missing Hinamori more and more with each and every second that passed.

_**I'm desperate for changing**_

_**I'm starving for truth**_

_**I'm closer to where I started**_

_**In chasing after you**_

Once the captains of Squad 10 and 4 had finished speaking, the sun was already scudding across the sky and hung in the West.

Hitsugaya thanked Unohana for all that she had done for him, and returned to his room. He sat down on the mattress and thought about all he had learned. He had been asleep for two days after Aizen had cut him down. Afterwards, Aizen and Ichimaru had gone to Soukyoku Hill while Unohana and Isane had healed him.

Unohana had not mentioned Hinamori, and Hitsugaya had not asked.

Aizen had wounded Ichigo Kurosaki, Renji Abarai and many others to get his hands on Rukia Kuchiki's precious soul. He had injured her when he had obtained the Soukyoku and then, he Gin, and Kaname Tosen had retreated to Hueco Mundo.

Hitsugaya could not believe that he had let the treacherous people slid right past him. He was to stay in the 4th division's buildings for several more days, for although he had healed for the most part, he was still weak and aching. He finally crawled back under the covers and pulled the sheets up over his shoulders. That night, he had dreams about the past, and about Hinamori.

Well rather, they were nightmares.

* * *

The next morning, Hitsugaya had breakfast brought to him, and after he had thanked the Shinigami know as Hanatarou, the dark haired boy spoke.

"A-A-Ano, H-Hitsugaya taichou." He stammered, bashfully since he was in the presence of such a mighty captain. "Unohana taichou says that you may leave the 4th Squad barracks today if you wish. Y-Your injuries healed quickly and you should be fine to go about your normal duties now." He spoke in a hurry.

Hitsugaya did not speak for a moment, but the looked up.

"Alright. Tell her that I'll be getting back to my division today. And tell her thanks again." He spoke quietly.

"H-Hai!" Hanatarou squeaked. "I-Is there anything else you need, sir?"

"No, thank you." The white haired captain did not look up as he replied. With a nod and a deep bow, Hanatarou closed the door behind him as he left the room.

Hitsugaya sat in the bed for a long while, his mind blank as though he were sleeping with his eyes open. Then, he stood up and left the room, making his way towards the 10th division's building. Every step he took sent a pang through him, and not from his injury.

He found it odd that you never really realized just how much you loved someone until it was too late, and they were gone.

When he finally reached his building, he went straight to his quarters. The sun was shining dully above Seireitei, and for once, there were almost no souls wandering the streets. Everyone seemed to be mourning, even the boy prodigy. He got to his own room without meeting up with anyone from his Squad. He sighed as he sat down on his bed, and before he knew it, dusk was upon them.

As he slept that night, the memories came back and taunted him.

Every time he remembered Hinamori and himself together, time seemed to freeze for a minute and let him cherish the precious parts in time.

_**I'm falling even more in love with you**_

_**Letting go of all I've held onto**_

_**I'm standing here until you make me move**_

_**I'm hanging by a moment here with you**_

The next day, all the miserable atmosphere seemed to disappear.

He could hear many voices all around, people shouting orders and laughing. It seemed that no one cared about the loss they had suffered.

As Hitsugaya walked to his office, he tried to become his old self, not only because it was for his own good to forget the past, but because he did not want to worry his subordinates. He was surprised to see Izuru wandering the hallway ahead of him. Seeing the 3rd Squad lieutenant reminded Hitsugaya of his treasonous captain and one thing led to another. The aqua-eyed boy quickly pushed the thoughts away and walked up to the blonde boy.

"Kira? What are you doing here?" He asked

"Hitsugaya taichou." Izuru bowed. "I have come to speak with Matsumoto fukuutaichou, if I may." He sounded sad. "And I have brought a message for you from Unohana taichou. She would like to see you as soon as possible. She said to tell you that it was about…about Hinamori fukuutaichou…" His voice wavered and he glanced away.

At the mention of her name, Hitsugaya's eyes widened and his head snapped up. This had been the first time since the battle that anyone had mentioned her. He automatically felt the urge to ask Kira many questions, but then again, he was not sure if he wanted to hear the answers, so he held his tongue.

"Very well. I'll get you to Matsumoto first." He turned around and headed to his office, Izuru following more slowly behind him.

Grief washed over the captain like a swelling river. It was like simply _saying _his old friend's name tore him apart from the inside out. When she had left this world, she had taken his soul with her.

What walked through the halls of the 10th division now was nothing but an empty shell.

She was gone now, so he might as well be too.

_**Forgetting all I'm lacking**_

_**Completely incomplete**_

_**I'll take your invitation**_

_**You take all of me**_

Once Hitsugaya had gotten Izuru to Matsumoto, he had ignored the looks of sympathy his lieutenant had shot him, and the captain headed straight for the 4th division.

The sun was shining pale and thick white clouds dotted the skies. When he reached the 4th Squad barracks, he almost immediately found Unohana. She nodded a small greeting to him.

"Now, please follow me." She said grimly, turning and leading him down a long hallway. They passed a few of the 4th Squad's members, who, when they saw the captain who was not theirs, had exchanged anxious glances with one another.

Unohana stopped in front of a closed door, but did not enter. Instead, she turned to face her guest. "Hitsugaya taichou, were you told anything about what happened to Hinamori fukuutaichou after the battle?" He flinched slightly at the name, but he was not sure if she saw it.

"No." He answered honestly, wondering what she was getting at.

"Well," She said, a tiny smile forming on her face. "It seems that you have been under the impression that she had departed from this world."

Hitsugaya tipped his head to one side, confused and hurt at the same time.

"Yes. I assume that she's dead." He forced the words out.

Unohana's small smile grew a bit.

"Well then, I am pleased to be the one to tell you that she is still with us," Hitsugaya froze, not believing what he was hearing.

But the next three words she spoke crushed his hope.

"But just barely."

Her smile faded now as she opened the door to the room and walked inside. Hitsugaya stayed where he was, until she summoned him to follow. He stepped inside.

Unohana stood on the far side of a white bed, her expression distressed now.

Suddenly, anger filled him. He was mad that Hinamori had made him believe that she was dead. He desperately tried to push the anger away, but for some reason, it just kept coming back and he could not shake it off.

He leaned against the wall and glared at the girl lying in the bed. He felt no relief that she was alive, and he fought inwardly to find out why. Perhaps it was because he had been so worried over nothing, as cruel as that seemed. He decided that it was because he simply could not believe the news; he needed time by himself to let it all sink in.

His feet turned him around to leave against his will, but he needed to be alone.

Unohana's voice called softly from behind him. "Some words?" She asked quietly. Hitsugaya stopped, but did not turn around. "Couldn't you say some words to her?" She seemed to be pleading. "She is…waiting to be called by someone who needs her." She insisted sadly.

There was a moment of silence.

"The way I am now…" he could not stop himself. "I have no words I can say to her." His mouth moved on its own.

" 'Now'?" Unohana repeated.

"If you'll excuse me."

He exited the room and turned the corner, but went no farther. _What… what am I doing?!_ He shouted inwardly. He wanted to dash back into the room and beg her to wake up, but his feet were frozen.

"I see." Unohana did not look up at him as she left the room. "Hitsugaya taichou, this room will always be open to you, unless you are told otherwise. So, if you ever want to visit her…" She trailed off, letting him understand for himself. He said nothing as she walked past him and disappeared down the empty hall.

Tearing his feet from the ground, furious at himself, he spun around instantly and ran back to the door. Now that Unohana was gone, he was free to do what he pleased.

He stared into the room, and saw the things he had not seen before. The devices and machines were the only things besides the bed, wires hung from each one. As he stared at the bed, he saw the form of the strong-hearted, determined, and loyal Shinigami he had come to know.

Now, she was nothing more than a fragile girl, like a porcelain doll or a glass statue; unmoving, and ready to break and shatter at any moment.

Again he realized that losing her had only made him love her more. _So, she won't get better unless I speak to her? 'Someone who needs her'…_ I _need her. She won't move until I talk to her?_

But something inside of him, deep, deep down told him that he might be too late now.

He did not speak to her at first, did that mean she would think he did _not _need her?

And did that mean that she would never wake up?

"Hinamori…"

**_Now, I'm falling even more in love with you_**

_**Letting go of all I've held onto**_

_**I'm standing here until you make me move**_

_**Just hanging by a moment here with you**_

He walked over to the bed and stared down at his best friend.

She was dressed in a white hospital robe that was too big for her. Her neck and collarbones were wrapped tightly in bandages, and he guessed that most of her body was too. There was a small mask covering her mouth that would cloud briefly and then become clear again and repeat. Judging from how the mask clouded, he could tell that her breathing was deep and even, but very, very slow. The sheets rose and fell along with her chest, but aside from the slight movement of her breathing, she was still. There was one wire that was attached to a different machine that slid under the sheets. Hitsugaya guessed that it was secured to her wrist, for the machine beeped every few seconds, and a squiggled line appeared, measuring her heartbeat.

Once again, he saw the fragile, porcelain, girl who could shatter at a simple touch.

He stood unmoving as he gazed down at her. Every now and then, her eyebrows would furrow and her body would jerk suddenly, sending waves of panic and alarm shooting through him. But then she would become still again, and he soon came to realize that she was probably having nightmares. About Aizen? He almost hoped so. He wanted her to know what that bastard had done to her, and to everyone else. He wanted her to realize that she had been used, tricked, and lied to all along.

But the harsh thoughts were pushed away as her body shivered and her breathing quickened. Hitsugaya leaned over her anxiously, his eyes desperately screaming for her to be all right. Through the mask, he could see that her mouth was gaping widely, trying to take in more air than what was offered to her. Her back arched as a huge gasp escaped her jaws. The IV machine began to speed up, and the beeping increased as her heart rate skyrocketed. Sweat covered her forehead and the sheets ruffled as her body jerked violently again.

Terror froze Hitsugaya completely as he witnessed the scene, but he tore his feet from the floor and raced to the door. He was about to call out to someone, _anyone_, when he heard the beeping of the IV slow. He whipped around to see Hinamori gasping; her tense body went limp again. The covers over her body moved with her unnaturally fast breathing.

He slowly returned back to her bedside, the panic gradually ebbing away. Her heart rate dropped back down to usual, and although her gasps were shaky and uneven, they too returned to normal.

Something snapped into place inside of the aqua-eyed boy at that moment.

She needed him.

He was the only thing that could possibly get her to wake up again.

He needed to live on, for if he did not, than she would lose the will to live.

But he had no idea what had happened just then. He did not know if it would happen again, or what he should do about it. He detested seeing her suffering like that with nothing he could do. But he did know one thing; that he wanted to stop her suffering at all costs. He would quit his work if it meant helping her, _saving _her. He would visit every day if he must; there was nothing else more important than her. Aizen would be dealt with someday, Hitsugaya had nothing to lose except Hinamori.

At that moment, Hitsugaya vowed that he would put an end to all her torment and agony. No matter what. _Hinamori, I _promise_ that I will help you. I know that I've broken promises before, like when I promised that I would never let anything bad happen to you. But this time, I swear on my life, that I _will _save you. _

_**I'm living for the only thing I know**_

_**I'm running but not quite sure where to go**_

_**And I don't know what I'm diving into**_

_**Just hanging by a moment here with you**_

_**There's nothing else to lose**_

_**There's nothing else to find**_

_**There's nothing in the world**_

_**That can change my mind**_

_**There is nothing else…**_

_**There is nothing else…**_

_**There is nothing else…**_

The mask over her mouth began to cloud slower and slower, and her eyebrows were trembling.

Hitsugaya wanted to check and make sure that she would be all right while he went to fetch Unohana. He waited for several minutes and watched her, making sure that she was breathing well and that her heart was beating at a normal rate.

He was about to leave the room and seek the 4th Squad captain, when the black haired woman stepped through the door. There was shock on her face for a moment, but then a knowing look crossed over it.

"Hitsugaya taichou. I am glad to see that you have decided to come and visit her." She sounded both miserable and pleased. The white haired boy opened his mouth to explain about what had just happened, but there was no need. Before he spoke, the beeping of the IV sped up again and Hinamori's breathing turned to gasps once more. Worry sparked in the aqua eyes as they flashed towards her and then back to the other captain. She too seemed concerned when she noticed, but she stayed where she was, staring sadly at her patient. But this time it was over faster than the first, and soon there was no noise in the room except the ragged breathing.

"What _was_ that?" Hitsugaya finally asked, flicking his gaze from his unconscious friend to Unohana.

She sighed. "I am afraid I do not quite know." She answered. "She has been like that for the past few nights, but nothing seems to have changed. I believe that it is a side effect of the coma she is in, I fear that she is experiencing unpleasant thoughts and nightmares." She lowered her eyes.

"Can't we stop it?" Hitsugaya's voice caught in his throat, pained at seeing Hinamori in such a state. "Isn't there any way…?" A strong wave of emotion swept over him, and he too lowered his gaze.

There was a moment of silence as the muffled breathing continued.

"Hitsugaya taichou," Unohana finally looked up at him and he lifted his gaze. "I believe that _you_ are the only one who can help her now…"

"I will spend as much time as I can by her side if it will help." He burst out.

"I think that will be very helpful." She nodded. "But I warn you that Hinamori fukuutaichou may continue to experience such violent tremors. Just as you saw, her heart rate will increase and then decrease again. I believe that, if you are here with her, she will recover faster, and that you are the one person that she would truly want to have by her side during this time. She is getting feverish, so I would like you to inform me right away if it gets out of hand." She held his gaze; seriousness hardened her eyes, but also the trust to rely on him. Hitsugaya nodded gravely as she turned around and began to walk out the door.

"Unohana." He called after her. "Would you please inform my fukuutaichou what is going on?"

"Of course." And with that, she left and closed the door behind her.

Hitsugaya turned to see that the sun was beginning to creep away towards the West again. He was going to stay as late as possible, and only planned on spending that night away from her. He wanted to stay with her every night until she woke up after that.

He watched the form of the sleeping girl, the pure, innocent lieutenant whom everyone loved, and wanted to know why Aizen had done this. _Why _her_? _Why? : It was the simplest question of all that never seemed to be answered.

He wanted to know when she would wake up, and he wanted to know what he could possibly do to help, and why he had not revealed his true feelings to her earlier.

Now more than ever, he wanted to tell her how he felt, but she could no longer hear him, and he was too late.

**_Desperate for changing_**

_**Starving for truth**_

_**Closer to where I've started**_

_**Chasing after you**_

_**I'm falling even more in love with you**_

_**Letting go of all I've held onto**_

_**I'm standing here until you make me move**_

_**Just hanging by a moment here with you**_

Hitsugaya sat down on the bed near her stomach.

When she had convulsed earlier, the sheets had slid down from her shoulders to her waist. The aqua-eyed boy curled his fingers around the white covers, and moved his hands up to place them back over her body. His fingers lightly touched her white robe and gently brushed against her stomach. Automatically, her body shuddered under his touch and she gasped, flinching with pain. Hitsugaya pulled back immediately and dropped the sheets where they were.

He had felt what the skin was like under her robes. It was raw and hot and the flesh felt like it was about to start bleeding at any moment. Hinamori whimpered in her deep sleep, and her jaws parted as she wheezed multiple times before she was still again.

Hitsugaya gritted his teeth, cursing himself again and again for hurting her. _I should have known!_ He growled in his mind.

He picked up the sheets again, being sure to avoid touching her petite, frail body. Suddenly, she seemed much smaller and thinner than ever, her slim waist and small shoulders looked dangerously breakable. He draped the blankets over her shoulders, but the material felt too heavy for her small body, so he lowered the covers to under her collarbones, letting her bandaged neck get oxygen and making it easier to breathe.

It seemed that only a moment had passed since he had arrived, when in actuality, the yellow sun was hanging low in the West now. He decided to stay for about another hour, and then he would leave.

He was not quite sure what he could do for her, but he was going to do everything in his power to make her well again.

_**I'm living for the only thing I know**_

_**I'm running and not quite sure where to go**_

_**And I don't know what I'm diving into**_

_**Just hanging by a moment here with you**_

The 10th division's captain reached down and gently brushed a lock of chocolate brown hair away from the girl's beautiful face.

She looked like a fallen angel, lying there; all dressed in white, gorgeous, and delicate. It was as if she had descended from a silver cloud from above and landed to grace this world with her pure soul.

But her elegant, chestnut brown eyes were closed and would not be opening for some time to come.

Hitsugaya noticed a thin, cold sweat beginning to bead around her face. He placed his palm on her forehead to find that her skin was hot and sticky. Instantly, he gathered the moisture in the oxygen and collected it around his hand, letting a cold flow of air lap at the sweat. He felt her body temperature gradually cool and finally removed his hand. Then, he began to wonder if leaving her that night was a good idea at all. But he had to tell the rest of his subordinates where he would be and what they should do if they needed to see him, and there were not enough Hell Butterflies to go around.

Hitsugaya moved his fingers tenderly around the bed and finally found one of her hands. Through the blanket, he could feel her bony fingers, curled up slightly. He stroked her hand as if he were petting a small kitten. But all of a sudden, the steady beeping sped up again as the squiggles on the IV machine rose higher and stretched farther. Unconsciously, Hitsugaya's grasp tightened as panic gripped him once again.

"Hinamori…" He spoke her name pleadingly.

As if at the sound of his voice, the beeping began to slow, and her small gasps became steady breaths.

Then he understood; his voice must calm her. If she could somehow hear his voice, then perhaps…perhaps she would know that he needed her, and perhaps she would wake up.

After the sun had disappeared, he brushed her forehead one last time.

And after one last sentence, he was gone.

"Oyasuminasai, Momo-chan."

**_Just hanging by a moment…_**

_**(Here with you)**_

_**  
Just hanging by a moment…**_

_**(Here with you)**_

_**Just hanging by a moment…**_

_**(Here with you)**_

_**Just hanging by a moment here with you…**_

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**A/N: Please let me know what you thought! I'm sorry, the next few chapters will have the action die down :( but plenty of cute flashbacks!**

**Next chapter, Cat And Mouse :**

"...You should know that, Shiro-chan. I'd die for you any time."

_The one sentence kept finding its way back into his mind and slithered around, bouncing back on itself in an endless echo. _

_Hitsugaya cursed himself for not making her promise to _live_ for him_.

**Please review!! **


	24. Cat And Mouse

**Again, thank you to all my loyal readers and reviewers and sorry for the wait!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Songfic song by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.**

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Chapter 24. Cat And Mouse

Rain pattered down onto all of Soul Society as Hitsugaya made his way slowly towards the infirmary.

Last night, he had slept in his own quarters, but from now on, he was going to try and spend his nights in the 4th Squad barracks for as long as he had to until Hinamori woke up.

The rain seemed to drag down everyone's spirits, making everyone miserable and smearing everything. The windows were warped by the perpetual waves of rippling water, the sky was gray and gloomy, and the whole of Seireitei was silent except for the dripping and pounding sounds of the rain.

Hitsugaya was grateful for the roof above his head as he entered the 4th division's building. He headed straight for Hinamori's room, not bothering to wait for an escort. Everyone knew where he would be, and everyone knew to leave him alone.

As he entered the dark, shadowed room, Hitsugaya was greeted by rasping breaths and frequent beeping. He staggered over to the girl's bedside to find that there was an empty, wooden chair with cushions waiting for him. He slumped down into the chair and closed his eyes with an exhausted sigh, like that of an elderly person who was deeply disappointed.

Hitsugaya hated the rain. It took all of his self-control to keep the memories of the time his grandmother died at bay. It only meant bad things and miserable feelings; and today was no different. With the pouring rain the only noise he could hear was from the beeping in the background, and the white haired boy could not stop himself from thinking unhappy things.

He tried to push away the dreary thoughts by lifting his head, opening his aqua eyes and blinking down at Hinamori. Her angelic, pale face was serene today, not pained or twisted. It was as if the rain had relaxed her, but also filled her with sad emotions.

_Hinamori…_He thought, wishing that she could hear him. _I…I can't wait till you wake up. Please…get better soon…_ But as the silence dragged on, the rain became louder and louder, filling him with the depressing truth of the possibility that she would never wake up again. _No. _He shoved it away. _Hinamori's going to wake up…she _has _to…_

He stared down at her face, the mask clouding and clearing and then clouding again. Suddenly, the rain picked up and heavily began to pound the buildings, even worse at his thoughts. An ominous feeling of foreboding crept up Hitsugaya's spine and made him shiver; and he never shivered.

At the same instant, the sheets quivered as Hinamori shook as well. Hitsugaya hoped that she was not experiencing something unpleasant and that she was just cold. He reached down and pulled up the blankets up to her shoulders. He could not stop an image of the hyper, cheery little girl he used to know from flashing into his mind. She used to smile, and that would make him smile, and simply remembering her happy face, Hitsugaya's mouth unconsciously twitched upwards at the corners, and his aqua eyes turned warm with affection.

He had told her that he would always be there for her, but he had failed, therefore he had lied to her, and for that, he hated himself. He would never be pleased with himself again until he had put Aizen in his place and taken his revenge.

Right now, he was the farthest thing in the world from content, and he blamed himself for everything that had happened.

One way or another, he was going to fix it.

_I promise I'll make things right again._

**_Softly we tremble tonight_**

_**Picture-perfect fading smiles are all that's left in sight**_

_**I said I'd never leave, you'll never change**_

_**I'm not satisfied with where I'm at in life**_

As the steady pounding of the rain continued, it seemed to match up with the beeping of the IV.

There were 2 full seconds of rain in between each beep of the machine. Hitsugaya could not believe that his friend's heart was beating so slowly; it was unnatural and it worried him.

As time went by, the rain did not slow its pace nor speed up; everything was slow and the noises began to fade away into the background, making it silent.

Aqua eyes closed as the captain of Squad 10 drifted off into a light sleep. When he opened his eyes again, Hitsugaya found himself staring at a young Hinamori, dressed in her red, Academy clothes.

"Well?" She was prompting him. Hitsugaya looked up at her in confusion. He had always looked _up_ at her, but now somehow he felt even smaller.

"W-What?" He took a step back. He found out that his voice was not his own to control. Finally, he looked down and found out that he was also a younger version of himself, wearing the gray kimono he had liked so much. The younger boy spoke, but the older Hitsugaya saw from his point of view.

"Ugh!" Hinamori threw her arms up in the air. "Shiro-chan! Have you even been _listening_ this whole time?" She glared down at him with a pout. "I _asked _you when you're deciding on joining the Academy?" Apparently, she was repeating herself. The younger boy had been ignoring her.

"Shut up! I'm not _gonna _join, like I told you a million times before!" He growled. The two of them were sitting in the old room they had used to share; their grandmother was still alive and was preparing an early dinner in the kitchen.

"But you have to _sometime_!" Hinamori protested. Then she gasped, as if in realization. "Y-You're not _scared_ are you? I mean, it can be intimidating at first, but I fought _real_ Hollow and I'm fine! You shouldn't-"

"I'm not _scared_!" He spat out the word with scorn. "I just don't _get it_! Why would you wanna become a Shinigami and risk your life for other souls. _And_ humans." He added. "A lot of Shinigami die fighting. It's stupid to throw your life away for people you don't even know!" Truthfully, he did not want her to fight because he was selfish and did not want to loose her. He just wanted her to be happy and safe.

"That's not true, Shiro-chan!" She protested. "I think it's an _honor _to protect others and-" Then she stopped, knowing that she could never convince him this way. "Fine." She sighed. After a moment of thinking, she spoke again. "Then why don't you think of it as protecting the people you care about, like Obaa-san and your friends." She smiled at him and he looked away, avoiding her gaze. "Well _I'll _fight to protect Obaa-san and all my friends like Kuchiki-san and Abarai-kun and Kira-kun…" She left him out on purpose. When she saw Hitsugaya stiffed since she did not mention him, she added. "But above _all others_, I'll fight to protect _you_."

She moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around him, resting her chin on top of his spiky, white hair.

"But you should know that, Shiro-chan. I'd die for you any time."

_**Am I supposed to be happy? **_

_**When all I ever wanted it comes with a price**_

_** Am I supposed to be happy?**_

_** When all I ever wanted I comes with a price**_

_** You said, you said that you would die for me…**_

Hitsugaya awoke to find himself back in the infirmary, sitting in the chair next to his injured friend.

The dream had ended abruptly after Hinamori had uttered those words. Hitsugaya had wanted to object, and tell her that she was just being foolish, but it was not his time to speak; the younger him controlled what to say and what not to say, so he had said nothing.

The light in the room had faded even more and the room was very dark. This told him that night was not far off and that right now, Seireitei was in a rainy, dusky twilight hour.

Since Aizen's betrayal had left Seireitei in chaos and destruction, there was little work to be done at the time. Hitsugaya hoped that he would be able to relive his past with Hinamori in his dreams. So willingly, he allowed the pitter-patter of the rain to lull him back to sleep.

This time, Hitsugaya opened his eyes to find himself young again, with the same, Academy-dressed Hinamori sitting beside him on the steps of their old home. The fresh, cool scent of watermelons hit his nose and brought back feelings of fun and happy times.

"…That's right." Hinamori must have just been finishing a sentence. "Well be together forever, no matter what." She laid her arm around his shoulders. Hitsugaya felt a wave of emotion overcome him. He prodded his memories to try and remember this conversation, what they had said, or what he was supposed to say now. But the younger boy had it under control as he replied.

"Yeah, yeah." A slight blush crossed his cheeks, but then a prickle of irritation set off in short temper like a fuse to a firework. "Now get off, Bed-Wetter." He mumbled, shrugging her arm away.

She pouted, but said nothing, pulling her arm away and folding her hand back in her lap.

"Well I just can't wait to become Aizen taichou's subordinate."

"Oh jeez, not _again_." Hitsugaya grumbled sourly, rolling his eyes.

"What do you-?"

"_Every. Single. Time_. Each time you come over you just say the same stuff. 'Aizen taichou this' and 'Aizen taichou that'. Why would you even _want _to be a part of the Gotei 13? I heard that once, a long, long time ago, one person betrayed them, _one person, _and almost every single taichou and fukuutaichou got banished because of something he did. What if that happens again? What if just _one _person does something, and you all wind up dead? I don't want you to die, Momo-chan." He looked away and lowered his voice.

Hinamori's chestnut eyes softened. "I'll be fine, Toshiro-kun, you'll see. Aizen taichou would _never _do anything bad, and he would never let anyone else betray the 13 Squads." She said as reassuringly as she could.

Hitsugaya could not believe that this conversation had actually happened between them once, and he wished that they could just start their lives over so he could prevent everything. But the younger white haired boy felt relived to hear her say that, but he had no idea how Aizen would be using them as his pawns in the future.

The captain of Squad 10 guessed that saving Hinamori, Hisagi and their group when the Hollow had attacked had all been a part of Aizen's plan as well.

The older boy shook inwardly in knowing just how long Aizen had been plotting for. Hitsugaya and Hinamori had been his toys from the very beginning, and he was putting them on a wild goose chase in faking his death and writing Hinamori the false letter. They were like pawns to the king; they were somewhat useful, but had little meaning. It was all like a child's game to Aizen, and he was the ruler and had them all in the palm of his hand.

The older Hitsugaya wondered if these dreams were actually memories that he was reliving. How could they not see that Aizen was a traitor? Now that he knew everything that was bound to happen, Hitsugaya could not believe that he had been the same, foolish little boy he saw now. Were these really the people they used to be before Aizen's plot unfolded?

Just then, the scent of watermelon disappeared, all sounds were deafened, and his surroundings and his best friend faded away into cold, unforgiving darkness.

**_We made plans to grow old _**

**_Believe me there was truth in all those stories that I told_**

**_Lost in a simple game Cat And Mouse, are we the same_**

_**People as before this came to light?**_

The silence of his ending dream was quickly replaced by the drumming of the rain as Hitsugaya awoke again.

There was no moon in the sky that night, nor was there any light struggling to break free past the thick black clouds.

His eyes were unfocused and his eyelids were heavy, but Hitsugaya soon found that he was no longer tired. He had slept away most of the day and now most of the night, and even though the rain was still droning on drearily, he felt awake.

He straightened up, small prickles piercing him as he moved, pushing away the numbness. The only lights in the room were from several small buttons coming from the machine, some blinking red, some green, and others yellow. He watched as the red squiggled zigzagged across the screen with the beeping, indicting that her heart rate was normal.

Feeling a bit relieved, the white haired boy turned back to the girl lying in bed, almost motionless. As he strained to see through the darkness, he could just make out the petite outline of her body against the sheets. She seemed even smaller than when he had seen her prior that day.

Hitsugaya wondered desperately when or if, she would wake up, as he often did every time he looked at her. It was like a pattern. He would look at her, ask himself when she would wake up, then think about Aizen, remember all the treacherous man had done to tear them apart, recall all the good times they had shared together in Rukongai and then long to see her smile again and look down at her. It was a continuous cycle, like a pool of water that could only flow in one direction.

Now, he found himself remembering his first dream that night.

"…You should know that, Shiro-chan. I'd die for you any time."

The one sentence kept finding its way back into his mind and slithered around, bouncing back on itself in an endless echo.

Hitsugaya cursed himself for not making her promise to _live_ for him.

The only thing he had ever wanted was to live in peace with his grandmother and his best friend forever. But after his grandmother was killed, that hope was automatically shattered. So he wanted to make sure that he and Hinamori would live peaceful lives no matter what.

But he could not even make this wish a reality. It seemed that what he had learned long ago was true; that nothing in life was free. Everything, _everything,_ came with a price to pay, no matter how small or how big. There was always something. Sometimes it was more like a sacrifice.

And Hinamori had wanted to keep her dream alive. In wanting to protect Hitsugaya, she had perhaps made the ultimate sacrifice, but she had fulfilled her wish; she had protected him.

But in return, she had to pay.

Hitsugaya deeply wished that it had been the other way around, and that _he _had been the one to fulfill his promise, even at the cost of his life. As long as Hinamori was safe…but it was too late now.

_Besides,_ he thought, pushing his ideas away. _Hinamori would be the same as I am right now if we had switched rolls. And I know that she would be wishing to switch places too. I guess she was just a better friend. She _kept _her promises. And I didn't…_

Hitsugaya blinked and decided that he would have to say what he had not said long ago.

"Hinamori." His voice sounded odd, alien to him. He had not spoke much in the past few days, and hearing his voice now, even though it was a whisper, it sounded like a shout in that silent room.

"I don't know if you can hear me, I don't think you can, but if by some chance you _can_, please, hear me out."

He stared down at her, half expecting her to respond in some way, but she was still.

"A long time ago, you promised me that…that you would die for me."

Just talking about the happy memory hurt, but he pressed on.

"Well, now I'm asking you to promise me, that you'll live for me too."

_**Am I supposed to be happy? **_

_**When all I ever wanted it comes with a price **_

_**Am I supposed to be happy?**_

_****__When all I ever wanted it co_mes with a price

_**You said, you said that you would die for me…**_

_**You must live for me too…**_

_**For me too… **_

He watched as her eyebrows furrowed and pulled together.

A moment later, she began gasping, and the alarm shot through him again, just as it always did when this happened. The red lines flashed faster across the screen of the IV. He hovered over her, watching as her breathing became more and more labored.

Then, something happened that made Hitsugaya freeze.

Hinamori made a small noise. It was barely audible, but his ears managed to pick it up. When she exhaled, a small, shaky sound escaped her lips. It was not a word, but instead it was a soft 'ah'. It was the noise one would make if they wanted to stay something and started to speak, but then had decided against it and closed their mouth.

The simple little sound had a certain element about it that made it _hers_. It was _her _voice, even if it was just a soft noise.

It was _her_, and that was enough.

Hitsugaya was overcome by feelings he could not fully explain. It seemed eons since he had last heard her voice and he only realized now that he had greatly missed it. He had been incomplete all this time without her. Just hearing her small voice filled him with hope and joy. Perhaps she would wake up after all…

Hitsugaya gently placed a hand on her delicate shoulder, feeling her body heave with effort to breathe. He kept repeating her name in a low whisper, remembering that his voice somehow calmed her. Sure enough, gradually, her panting became even and her heart rate dropped. Finally, Hitsugaya sat back and sighed, listening to the silence again aside from the rasping.

Then, he realized that the pounding of the rain had finally ceased and he turned to look through the white curtains. He could see faint moonlight bathing Soul Society in ghostly blue light, only a few droplets of rain dripped from the buildings and trees now.

He turned back around to the bed. _No. _He thought bitterly. _Nothing is free. Everything has a price. And after working herself to the bone to become a Shinigami, and to fight for peace and honor, and to keep others safe, Hinamori had to pay an unfair debt. Where's the justice in that? _He wondered. _How is that fair? How is it reasonable that she had to pay more than she gave? Why are the innocent always punished for things they didn't do? Why must _they_ take the responsibilities for others? It just doesn't make any sense. Why should _Hinamori _have to pay for what _Aizen _did?_

He wanted to meet the person who knew the answers. But then he came up with one of his own. _Oh that's right. _He thought angrily. _Its because life isn't fair. And just because Hinamori wanted to be a good person, she got taken advantage of and she was used, just because she wanted to help. I guess that's just how things are. _

His anger was boiling furiously now, his hatred for Aizen and his followers rising yet again.

But when his eyes focused again on the girl lying before him, he could not help but to let his rage ebb away as he stared down at her pale face.

_**Said that you would die for me…**_

_**Am I supposed to be happy?**_

_**When all I ever wanted it comes with a price**_

_**Am I supposed to be happy?**_

_**When all I ever wanted it comes with a price**_

_**You said, you said that you would die for me…**_

Hitsugaya found himself sitting in silence, waiting for dawn.

It seemed like forever until the pale, golden light of the sun's rays came filtering through the windows.

Noises soon arouse that told the captain that others were beginning to wake up too.

Hitsugaya waited and almost expected Hinamori to wake up, but she never did.

The white haired boy heard several voices, some commanding orders, and others happily greeting friends.

Hitsugaya planned on getting back to his division during the day, completing some work and then coming back later that evening. He had already told Unohana to inform him if anything changed in Hinamori's condition, good or bad.

He remembered the words she had spoken in his first dream that night. He reached down and felt her forehead. Her skin was hot again, and he dosed her with a cool sensation that should keep her body temperature normal until one of the nurses came to check on her later on. He made sure her breathing and heartbeat were regular before he reached under the sheets and gently twined his fingers with hers.

"Remember, Hinamori. You promised." He whispered. "You have to live for me."

With that, he let his fingers slide away from hers and he stood to leave the room.

**_You said that you would die for me… _**

**_You said that you would die for me…_**

_**You said that you would die for me…**_

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**A/N: Like I warned, mellowing-out chapters for the time being, but we will get back on track soon enough!**

**Next chapter, Slipped Away:**

_All of her senses were in effect except for seeing, and she was getting accustomed to the blackness, but she longed to see colors and sunshine and her friends for real, and not just in memories. She wanted to wake up almost as much as Hitsugaya wanted her to. She felt utterly lost without her friend, even though he was there she needed to see him. After all this time they had spent together, he just seemed to slip away so quickly. _

**I'll try to update more quickly!**

**Please review!**


	25. Slipped Away

**This chapter is dedicated to my friend Annoyer who always keeps me on the ball and reminds me to write this story X3 **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach :( Songfic song by Avril Lavigne.**

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Chapter 25. Slipped Away

Hinamori was again surrounded in the darkness, and it seems she had been that way for centuries.

The memories kept replaying themselves in her mind and repeating the scenes and words she least wanted to see and hear.

After feeling that intense pain and agony, Hinamori had lost consciousness, smelling the vile stench of an ocean's worth of blood. The last thing she had heard was the snake-like voice of Ichimaru Gin, saying the name of the man she used to love. That had been the last thing she remembered from reality, but all of the memories had played over and over in her thoughts. She knew them all by heart now, and whenever she witnessed one she hated, she would try to close her eyes, but it would just keep playing, like a torturous scene repeatedly in her mind.

Once again, she was trapped in the memory of when she and Toshiro had been sitting together on their porch and she was talking about Aizen, and there was no way out. She watched as the younger version of herself repeated the lines about wanting to join the 5th Squad. She tried to drown out the words; she was sick of hearing them.

But suddenly, the memory vanished, and she was in darkness again. That was odd. Usually the memories finished themselves before she was engulfed in the shadows once more.

Then, she heard something, like footsteps, and she assumed that the next scene was starting to play. But the sounds of the footsteps did not sound familiar and she waited, anxious to find out what was happening. She thought that she heard muffled voices, but she could not pick out whom they belonged to.

Gradually, the footsteps grew louder and seemed to get closer. Panic pounded through Hinamori; she could only see blackness, and had no clue who or what was coming, but whatever it was, it was coming her way.

Finally, the padding of the feet stopped very close to her, but all was dark and she saw nothing. She could not even see her own hands.

Then, she heard one of the voices again, and she could actually make out what they was saying.

"Some words?" The familiar sound was somewhat soothing, but it also sent terrible confusion and fear shuddering through her body. _W-What is Unohana taichou doing here? I mean…why…why can I hear her? This has never happened before, so how can I be _remembering _it? What's going on?_

Suddenly, the darkness cracked and shattered like glass and she could see again. She was not looking through her eyes, but she wished she were. They felt heavy, yet numb at the same time, for she had not opened them for what seemed like years.

Somehow she was seeing what was happening around her, but it was through her mind's eye. She could see the gray, shadowy figure of Unohana standing off to her left side. The 4th division captain was looking across the room, who was she speaking to? "Couldn't you say some words to her?" She pressed, pleadingly to the other person. "She is… waiting to be called by someone who needs her." She insisted.

Hinamori felt shock ripple through her. _Who…who would I need? _She tried to push of the instinctive thought of her former captain.

There was a moment of silence; Hinamori felt anxiety in the air around her.

Finally, the other voice replied.

"The way I am now…" Hinamori could have sworn that she gasped. _Hitsugaya-kun! He's all right! Oh thank goodness! _

Never before had she wanted to open her eyes as badly as she did now. Hearing his voice gave her strength and hope, and she desperately tried to open her eyes. A feeling of triumph and excitement surged through her as she physically felt her eyelashes twitch as she tried to force them open. _Almost there…_

Then, Hitsugaya continued. "…I have no words I can say to her."

Hinamori felt her heart come to a stop.

Then, her field of vision was swept away and she was left facing the complete darkness again, and she could no longer hear the conversation going on around her. She felt dull, disbelieving pain wash over her body. _He…Hitsugaya-kun doesn't want me anymore. He doesn't want to see me or talk to me. He hates me… _She wanted to throw her head back and wail and sob, but she remained frozen. _It's all my fault… I drew my sword against him and betrayed him… but I did it for Aizen taichou…Isn't that what a good subordinate's supposed to do? Follow orders? _

Her mind did not believe the concept that Aizen had been the one to betray her and the whole of Soul Society, she had been trained to see him as a loyal, and good man, and therefore she was not allowed to think of him otherwise. _Taichou…why? Why did you have to leave? _

She could hear the echoing of her mind bouncing around in the dark.

_Aizen taichou…_

**_I miss you_**

_**Miss you so bad**_

_**I don't forget you**_

_**Oh, it's so sad**_

_**I hope you can hear me**_

_**I remember it clearly**_

_**The day you slipped away…**_

_**Was the day I found **_

_**It won't be the same**_

Gradually, the darkness in Hinamori's mind melted away yet again, and began to repaint a scene it had shown her so many times already.

The buildings of Seireitei with their wooden floors and roofs, as the 5th division lieutenant re-watched herself as she ran through the streets, desperately racing at top speed to be on time for a meeting.

She remembered that feeling, that unnamed thing that had willed her to slow her pace and come to a stop. She turned around to see the mangled, bleeding body on the wall near the top of the building behind her. She tried to block out the sharp sound as her cry ripped through the air. The echo of her shout dangled in the air for a few seconds, until the scene faded away again into black.

Hinamori sighed, knowing that her mind was back in the routine of showing her these parts of her memory again and again. Hitsugaya did not need her, for he did not speak to her, so did this meant that she would be trapped in this unforgiving darkness until someone who needed her spoke?

She tried to recall the last time she had seen Aizen before his 'death'. She remembered being next to him when the ryoka had broken through Seireitei's shield. That was the last time she could remember seeing him, although she was certain there had been more. She just could not place her mind on them.

Against her will and out of nowhere, her body made her experience the pain and grief of learning of his death and that Hitsugaya had killed him.

Suddenly, it was as though she had gone back in time again.

**_I didn't get around to kiss you_**

_**Goodbye on the hand**_

_**I wish that I could see you again**_

_**I know that I can't, oh**_

_**I hope you can hear me **_

_**Cause I remember it clearly…**_

Hinamori pushed away the feelings she had felt so long ago; she knew what Aizen's true intentions were now, and she did not want to remember herself being so foolish.

She hated herself for betraying her friends, just because _he _had told her to. She did not ever want to remember the things she had done, and how she had been so blind so she could not see through his treacherous plans.

But something deep down inside of her still tugged at her memory. There was a part of her that was still loyal to Aizen and that believed that he was innocent. Hinamori franticly tried to shove it away, but it still burned in the back of her head like a firefly. She did not know how to destroy it, which she wanted to do very badly; she did not want it to take over and prove itself right. That portion of herself, deep inside, was the thing that was making her see all of these scenes over and over again, and she was determined to put a stop to it.

But somehow, she felt that she could not do it alone. She needed someone's help, but she did not know whom. Perhaps it was that one person who needed her, that would talk to her, and call out to her.

Whoever it was, Hinamori prayed that they hurry up and call for her, so that she may wake up.

She wanted to apologize to her friends, even though she was not sure how much good 'sorry' would do after what she had done.

**_The day you slipped away_**

_**Was the day I found**_

_**It won't be the same**_

Exhaustion overcame the brown haired girl like never before.

She did not know why, but her body felt tired, even though her eyes had never opened. She was about to let the darkness take over again when she felt someone's presence hovering above her. She realized that something clogged up her sense of smell, and that the air she was breathing was odd somehow.

Suddenly she realized that she was being brought back into the present again. She could _feel_ that she was lying on a bed, and she could hear a faint beeping off to one side of the room. But something told her who the person staring down at her was. _Hitsugaya-kun! _She wanted to cry out with joy.

But then, out of nowhere her body stared to shiver and her breath came in less and less. She strained to inhale and felt another tremor shake her body. Panic rose in her, and she could tell that Hitsugaya was worrying too; there was apprehension and alarm in the atmosphere of the room.

An intense pain shot through her chest and the place she knew her heart was burned like an awful, unquenchable fire. Her ears were filled with the hard, fast pounding of her own heart and she choked out and gasped for breath. Beads of sweat gathered on her forehead. Then, she could not breathe at all and she held her jaws in a silent gasp as she felt her lungs freeze.

Then, after what seemed several long years, she exhaled and sucked in huge mouthfuls of air. After a moment of painful breaths, Hinamori felt her lungs begin to ache less and less, and her heartbeat stopped pounding frantically and returned to a normal pace.

_What…was that? _She asked herself as her body heaved as she panted.

And little did she know, that Hitsugaya had been frozen with horror for her. He kept asking himself why this had happened and why she would not wake up.

Hinamori slowly felt her mind slip into unconsciousness as she heard footsteps move away from her bedside and towards the door. The fading steps were the last things she heard for the longest time, and she soon could not longer feel the bed, or the presences of people anymore.

_Hitsugaya…kun…_

**_I've had my wake up_**

_**Won't you wake up?**_

_**I keep asking why?**_

_**And I can't take it**_

_**It wasn't fake it**_

_**It happened you passed by**_

Hitsugaya shifted in his seat by Hinamori's bedside.

The sun was just passing noontime outside right about now.

Lately, in the recent days Hitsugaya had come to visit, there had been no changes in her condition. _She isn't getting any better._ He thought dully. _But, she isn't getting worse. _He contradicted himself and he perked up a bit. She would often get tremors, as Unohana called them, when her body would shake, but now, they seemed to be getting less and less violent. This made Hitsugaya even more confident that she _would _wake up, even if it was not soon, but in time, she would.

He just wished that he could help her, and make her wake up very soon. He could not help but feel that he was the one that she needed to hear, and that he was the one that must talk to her. But he still greatly regretted not speaking to her right away, the moment Unohana had asked him to share a few words with her.

"What was I thinking?" He mumbled angrily to himself. "I couldn't just say one simple little thing to her? Maybe she would have woken up if I did." He sighed. He lifted his aqua eyes up and laid his gaze upon his best friend. "Oy, Bed-Wetter, when do you plan on waking up?" He asked softly, in a playful tone. Almost as if in response, her hand twitched under the covers. His eyes widened and he briefly wondered if she could hear him, but he passed it off as a coincidence.

The temperature was beginning to drop, as Autumn was well on its way now, but there were still warm remnants of Summer fighting till the very end. Hitsugaya could not help but wonder how many more seasons would pass before she woke up, _if _she woke up. The captain shook his head. _No! She _will _wake up! She has to…_

Again, guilt overcame him and he wished that there was something else he could do to help her. He stood and stretched out his stiff limbs, slowly making his way over to the open window. He could never tell when it was cold or not, thanks to his Zanpakutou and the powers it had granted him. The only way he could tell weather it was cold or not was by the wind, if the people around him were cold or if it was plainly snowing. He pushed the window down until it was only open a fraction.

He made his way back over to her bed and took his seat once again. He slid his hand under the sheets and found her small, cold fingers. He grasped her hand and tried to warm her up by sucking away the cold particles in the air and drawing them towards himself.

_How much longer will you make me wait, Hinamori?_

_**Now you're gone**_

_**Now you're gone**_

_**There you go**_

_**There you go**_

_**Somewhere I can't bring you back**_

_**Now you're gone**_

_**Now you're gone**_

_**There you go**_

_**There you go**_

_**Somewhere you're not coming back**_

Hinamori was aware that she no longer felt so lonely when she was stuck inside that dark abyss, for she knew that in the real world, Hitsugaya was by her side.

She had not the slightest clue how many days were passing; she could not even tell a minute from an hour. But she knew that time was passing, and even though weeks must have gone by, Hitsugaya still stayed by her side, no matter what.

She still experienced those strange and painful convulsions from time to time, but each time, Hitsugaya would call out her name and sooth her until the pain ebbed away and finally died. She was becoming more and more aware of the present and she slipped into the consuming darkness less and less. She felt that she was starting to get her strength back and she wished that this meant that soon she would be able to open her eyes.

Now, more than ever, that small firefly inside of her was beginning to fade as she kept telling herself that Aizen was not the man she nor anyone else had thought he was, and she hoped that that small fire would soon burn out.

Presently, she felt a slight pressure on her left hand and felt the familiar touch of someone else's fingers closing around her hand. She knew that it was none other than Hitsugaya. She was able to feel his fingertips stroking her frozen skin, and she anxiously wanted to just sit up in bed and throw her arms around him. He did _not _hate her and she now knew that that was a fact, but even though he now spoke to her, she had still not found the strength to open her eyes, let alone get up. She thought that this meant that he did not need her, so she would not wake up, but she had quickly fought that option away. She knew that if he had not spoken to her and visited her every day, then she never would have found half of this strength that she felt in her body now. If he had not kept coming back and speaking to her, she would probably still be caught in that dark corner of her mind, forced to watch her horrible past again and again.

Hinamori felt a slight pain in her chest, and she knew what was coming next. Leisurely, the pain began to build up and even though she was used to it by now, it still hurt as much as it did the first time. She could feel her best friend's fingers tighten around her hand and anxiety fill the atmosphere. She let out a very small and very soft whimper that was cut short as the pain started to burn. Her lungs blazed as she choked out for air. She still was not sure what was preventing her from taking in fresh air, but whatever it was, was about as much help as it was normally when this happened. Her heart began to beat faster and faster until it was thudding like a woodpecker.

She was faintly aware of the beeping off to her left side as it increased, but mostly she concentrated on trying to breathe. She had eventually figured out that when this happened that she should just slow her breathing and even her heart rate. After she had learned how to control her body to do so, it had gotten easier and easier to fight these fits off. She heard her name being whispered soothingly above her and she gasped again, trying to slow her frantic breaths. Finally, the fire began to lessen its fury and eventually her lungs were free once again as the beeping slowed once more.

She heard a sigh of relief from above her as Hitsugaya's grip loosened and then, he let go of her hand altogether. Then, Hinamori felt his fingers dance gently over the exposed skin on her face. She knew that she would have blushed, but her skin felt far to cold for that.

Hinamori held her breath as he caressed her cheek and made small circles with the back of his hand. Then, he tucked a lock of soft brown hair behind her ear. It seemed that he did that a lot, mostly after she had one of her tremors. Once again, Hinamori felt the urge to try and get up, but most of her body felt numb again as it always did. She had for the most part, forgotten how to use her voice but she knew that when she made even the slightest noise, it proved to Hitsugaya that she was getting better. She let the comforting feeling of his soft touch seep in and relax her.

Hinamori just hated being unable to open her eyes. All of her senses were in effect except for seeing, and she was getting accustomed to the blackness, but she longed to see colors and sunshine and her friends for real, and not just in memories. She wanted to wake up almost as much as Hitsugaya wanted her to. She felt utterly lost without her friend, even though he was there she needed to see him.

After all this time they had spent together, he just seemed to slip away so quickly.

**_The day you slipped away_**

_**Was the day I found**_

_**It won't be the same**_

Hitsugaya sighed with relief as Hinamori's heartbeat went down again.

He continued to rub his fingers against her soft skin and twined his fingers slightly in her long, loose hair.

Although the tremors she was suffering were lasting for shorter amounts of time, they still seemed to hurt her all the same.

Hitsugaya blinked drowsily as he turned behind him to see the sun sinking already. In fact, it must be dusk by now even though it only seemed that 5 minutes had passed. His aqua eyes widened, and he yawned sleepily. Usually, he went back to his quarters to sleep, but it was already so late that he decided to stay that night.

As he shut his eyes, he found that it was impossible to fall asleep in the chair unless he was dead tired. So he knelt down on the floor and laid his arms on the mattress near Hinamori's shoulder, lying his head down on his sleeves. If there had been another bed in the room he would have slept there but this was the best he could do.

He stared up at her until his eyelids got extremely heavy. She seemed to be sleeping, peacefully, but really she had no choice but to lie there and keep her eyes closed. She was not sleeping, and even if she was, she was not having pleasant dreams; he knew that much. _I can't believe I let her slip away…_

"Oyasuminasai, Momo-chan." He repeated what he had told her before bedtime when they were little, that he had told her every night recently.

He had no idea how badly Hinamori wanted to say it back.

**_The day you slipped away_**

_**Was the day I found**_

_**It won't be the same, oh**_

_**I miss you…**_

_**

* * *

**_

**A/N: Sorry for such a sad chapter! T_T**

_Next chapter: Pretty Girl_

Aizen Taichou. _She thought._ Why did I always have to say his name? Now I'll never forget it, no matter how much I want to.

_"Yamada, what's wrong?" _

_Hanatarou shook his head and looked up at Hitsugaya with sorrowful eyes. "I'm loosing her!" He cried. _


	26. Pretty Girl

**Haha! Guess who's back? You all thought I abandoned this fic, didn't you? Well I'm not that kind of person! **

**I do apologize for the excruciatingly long wait on such a terrible cliffhanger, for my computer suffered from viruses and I suffered from school and exams. But now that's all over, I fully intend to get back on the job and finally finish this fanfiction!**

**Disclaimer: I, after like, 6 years of loving it, still do not own Bleach. Songfic son by Sugarcult.**

* * *

Chapter 26. Pretty Girl

Hitsugaya's dreams were tainted with the past that night, so they were better classified as nightmares.

He blinked his aqua eyes open to find himself staring at Seireitei, and for a moment he was confused until he realized it was a dream. He was running at top speed, leaping over rooftops and using his shunpou as he raced away towards the Central 46 Chambers. A sense of déjà vu overcame him, but Hitsugaya had no control over his body this time, and so he continued to run.

Some forebodingly ominous feeling told him what lay ahead and he remembered every detail of what he was about to see.

He tried to stop himself from running, he wanted to turn around or just stop, or wake up, _anything_ but keep going. He knew far too well what sights he would be forced to witness if he kept going, but no matter what he did, he could not wake up nor stop.

Within moments, he had reached the massive, building and he was about to dash inside when he suddenly stopped. The déjà vu shattered as he realized that this had not happened during real life at this point. _Why have I stopped? _He wondered.

At first he was grateful, thinking that he would not have to see the bleeding body of his friend yet again; as if that image did not haunt him enough. Soon, anxiety crept over him and then confusion. But suddenly, his vision was clouded over as if by a dark gray curtain. The surrounding environment of Seireitei faded away and was replaced by the insides of the building of Central 46. Hitsugaya realized with dread that the event of him stopping his running had only brought him to the place he did not want to be even faster.

But he soon found out that his dream body was not actually there, he was just seeing what was going on inside. He could see three people, all whom he recognized instantly. Ichimaru was standing a ways behind Hinamori and Aizen, grinning with an amused hint of menace.

"Aizen Taichou!" Hitsugaya knew his best friends' voice instantly.

Then, he realized what was going on. He was now seeing what had been happening while he was running back to this very place.

"Long time, no see, Hinamori-kun." The voice sounded warm and caring, but Hitsugaya detected a faint trace of mocking and pretense. He wanted to shout out to Hinamori, but he had no voice. Then, with great difficulty, he remembered that this was just a dream- or rather a nightmare- of the past, and there was nothing he could do to change the present anyway.

So instead, as much as he was against it, he said nothing and watched the scene he had missed. He listened to all the lies Aizen told her and how he pretended to care for her. And sadly, Hitsugaya watched as the girl was pulled into his plans even further and believed every word he said. All the while, Gin watched with a smile in the background.

After a moment, Hinamori walked shakily over to her captain and he murmured a few things into her ear. Hitsugaya could see a look of pure love and joy on her face as she cried tears of happiness.

He did not even see when Aizen drew his sword. And surely, neither did she.

The white-haired boy watched helplessly as his best friend gasped and slowly looked down. The sword had stabbed all the way through her body and the bloody tip protruded from her back. Hitsugaya did not miss the flash of sheer and utter confusion and hurt in her glazed chestnut eyes. She looked up at Aizen before her body started to tremble. The man roughly yanked his sword back, as if having it simply touch her was humiliating; as if her blood was unworthy of being spilt by it. A choke was cut off from her throat as her limp form fell to the floor, a dark crimson liquid pool stretching out all around her.

The gray curtain blacked out the nightmare after that, and Hitsugaya found himself running through the Chambers.

He arrived just as Aizen and Ichimaru were walking away from their victim.

**_Pretty girl is suffering, while he confesses everything _**

**_Pretty soon she'll figure out what his intentions were about _**

**_And that's what you get for falling again _**

**_You can never get him out of your head _**

**_And that's what you get for falling again_**

_**You can never get him out of your head**_

Hitsugaya woke with a start, realizing for the first time just how close he had been to preventing all of this.

He had only been _seconds_ late.

He was enraged at himself in knowing this, but mostly at Aizen for tricking her and making her think that he was alive after she had thought he was dead. Hitsugaya had thought that he must have snuck up on Hinamori and just inflicted the nearly fatal wound when she had her guard down, but to lure her into his trap like that…

It just infuriated and disgusted him in knowing that the foul man had played by using such dirty tricks.

A warm, Autumn breeze drifted through the slightly opened window, but it was frozen immediately as soon as it entered the room. The atmosphere was dropping rapidly as Hitsugaya dwelled on his past mistakes. Only when he noticed small icicles forming around the sill did he cease from lowering the temperature.

It was just after dawn and the orange sun was glowing brilliantly behind the changing leaves of the trees outside. Hitsugaya gazed up at the sky to clear his thoughts, wondering, not for the first time, how many seasons he would be forced to wait before his friend would wake up, if she would.

Slowly, he remembered how he had fallen asleep the previous night and blinked, looking around. His arms were stretched out in front of him and he found that his forehead was pressed against Hinamori's shoulder. He stayed where he was for a moment, closing his eyes and taking in her scent, which had, for the most part, faded away. It had used to be a warm, comforting and lively peachy smell, but now it was cold, dull and still, and there was only a very slight scent of peaches through the dreary aroma.

Then, he slowly pushed himself up and stood on trembling, numb legs as he stretched the tiredness away. He made his way over to the IV to check the machine as he had been asked to by Unohana in the mornings to see if anything had changed in her patient's condition. But as Hitsugaya examined the lines and zigzags, he saw nothing new.

So he passed the bed and exited the room to get some breakfast and take care of some of his duties.

**_It's the way_**

_**That he makes you feel**_

_**It's the way**_

_**That he kisses you**_

_**It's the way**_

_**That he makes you fall in love**_

Hinamori watched again as the scene of her battle with Hitsugaya replayed itself.

She wanted to block out the pictures that flashed in front of her, but yet again she found herself rendered helpless against the torrent of harsh memories.

She was getting impatient with all of this. She felt strong enough to be able to get up from this bed where she had been lying for goodness knows how long. She wanted to walk again, and she wanted to _see_ things and people again. She wanted to hear other things besides the voices of her past and the echoes of her own screams. She wanted to smell the scents of the world again.

Occasionally, her flashbacks allowed her to experience the sense of smell. But this was only for the smell of blood, because it was the only thing she could remember at some times. And sometimes, if she tried hard enough, her dream self could just make out the scent of watermelon.

The one thing that annoyed Hinamori most of all, however, besides not being able to actually see, was that she could not feel _anything._ No matter which scene was running through her head, she could never feel anything at all. But then again, maybe that was not such a bad thing after all, considering she did not want to feel the pain of the metal sword sliding through her stomach.

But she longed to feel the breeze of the wind and the warmth of the sun. Now, it was as if she were trapped inside a book; nothing but pictures and words.

Hinamori waited in the darkness as her memories decided which painful scene to replay for her next. Then, she was in Seireitei, running again to the lieutenant's meeting she would be late for. She obediently followed the scene as if she were a paid actress, letting everything happen as though she had done it a thousand times, which, perhaps she had. She watched her dream-self collapse to the ground and shout out her captain's name, and then everything was black again.

_Aizen Taichou_. She thought. _Why did I always have to say his name? Now I'll never forget it, no matter how much I want to. Well,_ she went on to herself, now with more determination and confidence. _I know for sure that _when _I wake up, _she thought the sentence impatiently, angry that her body was still too weak to move. _…_When _I wake up, I know I'll never say his name that way again. Aizen Taichou…_ She repeated the words as if the phrase were a curse.

Suddenly, she felt an all too familiar pain stinging her chest where she knew her heart was, like a tangle of thorns. It burned, as always, and she waited for the pain to die away. The seconds ticked by agonizingly and she could hear the blood pulsing throughout her body loudly. Then, it felt as though her air supply was gone again. Hinamori strained to gasp in air but nothing happened. Usually, during these attacks, she could at least breathe, but now she could sense her body getting weaker and weaker.

_W-What's happening? _She wondered desperately, hoping that somehow, someone could save her and give her an answer. _T-This is…worse than all the others… _The burning thorns seemed to stab deeper into her heart as if someone were forcing them in until they protruded from the other side.

She was vaguely aware of the boy at her side, and she parted her jaws to cry out to him. But her voice was caught in her throat and she tried to gasp as she felt her heartbeat get slower and slower.

_Hitsugaya-kun…_

There was nothing else to do but think his name.

_**She's beautiful as usual with bruises on her ego and**_

_**Her killer instinct tells her to, be aware of evil men**_

_**And that's what you get for falling again**_

_**You can never get him out of your head**_

_**And that's what you get for falling again**_

_**You can never get him out of your head**_

_**It's the way **_

_**That he makes you feel**_

_**It's the way **_

_**That he kisses you**_

_**It's the way **_

_**That he makes you fall in love**_

Hitsugaya jumped as he heard the beeping of the IV increase.

He went to Hinamori and placed his hand on her forehead, although he doubted she could feel it or that it actually helped much. He figured that she was just having another one of the vicious tremors that often passed through her. But lately, they had been getting a lot less violent and had only lasted about half the time they did at first.

Hitsugaya emitted cool air onto her body to try and calm her down, which was usually how he helped her fight these spasms off. But this time, his technique seemed to be ineffective, and he felt a small flicker of panic flitter inside of him.

He tried again, attempting to relieve her of the sweat that now covered her pale face. But still, nothing was working as her heart rate got faster and faster. Hitsugaya knew how dangerous that could be and what it could mean, so he began to make his way to the door to call for help. But he stopped in his tracks when Hinamori let out a hard cough that shook her whole body.

Hitsugaya's terror rose with realization; this was no normal tremor if it was violent enough to make her unconscious body cough.

Just as he was about to leave the room, a boy raced through the doorway. It was the boy whom Hitsugaya had often spoke to when he had visited Hinamori, Yamada Hanatarou.

"Yamada! What's happening?" Hitsugaya asked the confused 7th seat member.

"I-I don't know." He replied, racing over to Hinamori's bed. Obviously he had heard the commotion and come to see what was wrong. He glanced at the IV and his eyes widened in horror. He turned back to the injured lieutenant, murmuring a phrase that caused his hands to glow a faint blue. He placed both palms over her heart, trying to heal something that Hitsugaya could not comprehend. He had no idea what he should do, he just stood there and watched as his friend suffered one violent convulsion after another.

"Where's Unohana?" The white haired boy finally asked.

"Sh-She's out treating a reconnaissance team that was attacked!" The panic in his voice told Hitsugaya that this boy had never dealt with something so severe by himself before. "Don't call for anyone else!" He practically read the captain's mind. "More people in here will only be chaos. Let me handle this. I think I can save her."

"You _think_?" Hitsugaya repeated. But the 4th division member did not seem to hear him as he struggled to exchange the healing blue light into the 5th division's lieutenant's shuddering form.

"Hitsugaya Taichou." Hanatarou glanced up at him with desperate eyes. "Please, I need your help." Without wasting half a second, Hitsugaya was on the other side of the bed. "Please, hold down Hinamori fukuutaichou's shoulders." He instructed. Hitsugaya did as he said and reached down, firmly holding down both of her shoulders as another shiver ripped through her.

Hitsugaya stared down at her. Her face was twisted into one of pure pain and agony, and a small trickle of blood flowed from her mouth under the mask. But no matter how badly he wanted to cry out her name, Hitsugaya kept silent, letting Hanatarou concentrate as his hands sent out the waves of blue light. Hitsugaya's panic slowly began to die away as he heard the beeping of the IV slow, and Hinamori's tense body start to go limp again.

However, the other boy's face clouded over with terror as he heard the beeping slow. "No…" He murmured, his eyes stretched wide in horror. Then, he frantically tried to emit more healing waves into her body. Hitsugaya was puzzled at the other boy's fright.

"Yamada, what's wrong?" _Isn't it good that her heart rate's going down again?_ He wondered.

Hanatarou shook his head and looked up at Hitsugaya with sorrowful eyes.

"I'm loosing her!" He cried.

Hitsugaya froze at his words. Then, he realized that the beeping of the machines was much slower than it normally was. He looked up to see the red zigzags getting smaller and smaller as the beeping slowed even more. He glanced back at Hinamori and could not stop a feeling of rage pulsing through him. _Aizen! This is all your fault! _He wanted to scream.

But as his eyes rested upon his childhood friend, fading fast and getting weaker with every second, his shout of rage turned into a wail of despair.

"Hinamori!"

_**It's the way**_

_**That he makes you feel **_

_**It's the way**_

_**That he kisses you**_

_**It's the way**_

_**That he makes you fall in love**_

_**Love**_

Hinamori gasped for breath that did not come as she felt her body shake again.

Her hands clutched at the bed underneath her, yet she was completely unaware of this. She tried to push through the confusing darkness that stretched out before her, feeling that the shadows were what were causing her all this pain. She wanted to scream out for help almost as badly as her lungs screamed out for air. But even in her dream self, she found that she could not speak.

None of the memories were playing in her mind now, it was all just black and lonely; it was as if she were _inside _the color black itself.

She felt another wave of piercing shards sink into her heart and she wanted to cry out in anguish. But instead she found herself wailing an eerily silent scream that still somehow managed to echo into the depths of nothingness. She could hear the sound of her own heartbeat pounding and bouncing back off the invisible walls of her mind. The pain just got worse and worse with every second that ticked by. _Please somebody help me!_ She shouted in her mind.

More thorns sliced through her like an arsenal of flaming arrows. She fought against them, trying to ignore the burning sensations, but to no avail. There was nothing she could do the way she was now. She was helpless against the violent spasms that rippled through her body, and she could do nothing but lay there and stare blankly into the everlasting darkness.

Gradually, the pain began to get duller and duller and she felt herself becoming more tired, which was something that had not yet happened to her in the time she had been in this condition. It felt nice to be getting tired, it was like a splash of cool water on the flames that lapped at her heart.

Hinamori soon felt herself go limp as she slipped farther and farther into the tiredness that was consuming her. _This feels so nice. Its like I've been awake forever and now I can finally rest…_

But just as she thought this, she realized what was going on. She could hear that the pounding of her heart was getting slower and softer, and Hinamori knew what was happening to her.

She was not falling asleep; she was dying.

Desperately, the brown-haired girl tried to regain the strength that she had obtained within the past few days to try and keep herself 'awake'. As long as she could sense the darkness around her, and hear the beating of her heart, she knew that she was alive. But soon, she could not even sense the darkness, and it was as if she were deaf. She could not hear anything anymore, and even though she could not exactly sense the darkness, she knew it was gone.

Because now, there was nothing.

Not even black.

Just nothing.

Hinamori felt her mind being drawn toward that barren nothingness, the fire finally burning itself out. She fought against herself with all of her might; longing to find the strength to pull through and one day wake up and see her friends. But she lost to herself as her tired body willingly accepted the blank oblivion.

Now she could rest forever.

**_Pretty girl…pretty girl_**

_**Pretty girl is suffering while he confesses everything**_

_**Pretty soon she'll figure out**_

_**You can never get him out of your head**_

_**It's the way **_

_**That he makes you cry**_

_**It's the way**_

_**That he's in your mind**_

_**It's the way**_

_**That he makes you fall in love**_

Hitsugaya squeezed Hinamori's limp shoulders tighter.

_Hinamori! _He pleaded silently. _Don't die! You can't!_

Hanatarou was frantically trying to quicken her heart rate, glancing to the IV and back to his patient. Hitsugaya could tell that he was on the verge of tears, unable to think of what would happen if he did not save the lieutenant. The blue light around his palms faltered slightly as the 4th Squad member tried to maintain its brightness.

"No, please no!" He mumbled anxiously. Then more loudly, he cried, "Hinamori fukuutaichou, please don't die!" His words opposed reality as her heart rate dropped so that there was nothing more on the screen of the IV but a slightly moving line.

Hitsugaya gritted his teeth.

"Damn it!" He roared, unaware of the tears clinging to the corners of his eyes. Hanatarou jumped at looked up at him, still trying to tend to the injured girl's heart. "Aizen you bastard!" The white-haired boy roared as if the former captain were standing there in front of him. "This is all your fault!" He spat with venomous fury. _If she hadn't met you, and if you had never existed, Hinamori wouldn't be dying right now!_

He wanted to throw his head back and shout to the sky, and then chase after Aizen and hunt him down. _You twisted your lies into her mind and made her believe you were an innocent man! She trained herself to the bone and got stronger for you! She did anything you wanted! She nearly died for you and now she _is_! _Then he could no longer keep his words to himself. "IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" He bellowed, cursing Aizen with everything he was.

Tears spilled onto the floor and soaked the bed sheets, some staining the pale skin of the girl Hitsugaya loved.

Suddenly, the room was filled with an ominous silence.

Hitsugaya felt Hinamori's shoulders go completely limp under his fingers, and Hanatarou suddenly cut off the blue light that was wafting from his hands. He swung his head around in utter dismay and stared in dreadfulness at the IV. It was no longer beeping; instead, it was droning perpetually on the same tone, and only a straight red line ran across the screen.

Hitsugaya felt more tears coming, but he stopped them to look at the other boy, and then down at the girl lying below him.

He knew what this meant.

Hanatarou slowly turned his head back around and met Hitsugaya's cold, aqua gaze with quivering eyes.

His voice was shaky and full of regret as he voiced Hitsugaya's greatest fear in the universe.

"She's dead."

_**It's the way **_

_**That he makes you feel **_

_**It's the way **_

_**That he kisses you **_

_**It's the way **_

_**That he makes you fall in love **_

_**Love…**_

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**A/N: Next chapter, Tomorrow:**

_The world had stopped turning. Hitsugaya felt fear and pain throb through him and he swayed on his feet._ Dead…? _He repeated the word over and over in his mind. _

_"Taichou!" Matsumoto finally burst out. "Please stop this! And what do you mean? What's happened to Hinamori-chan?" Her voice filled with panic, and Hitsugaya knew that he had to tell her. _

**Please review.**


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